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Mikal Bridges has been a peripheral figure within the New York Knicks rotation to begin the new NBA season. Bridges was a major trade addition for Tom Thibodeau’s team during the summer. However, his current role is not indicative of the mouth-watering trade package the Knicks parted with to bring him to the Big Apple.
New York parted with a staggering amount of draft picks to get the deal over the line. According to Bill Simmons of The Ringer, Bridges current position within the team’s system should raise questions over the decision to acquire him from the Brooklyn Nets during the offseason.
“What was the point of the Bridges trade?,” Simmons asked on a recent episode of ‘The Bill Simmons Podcast.’ “For what they gave up for him. For how little they use him. It’s kind of shocking. He’s like a 15 points a game guy. He just stands in the corner in crunch time. I thought he would be way more involved with their offense. You think if Giannis (Antetokounmpo) is really going to be available over these next couple of weeks or months, they shot their wad on this Bridges package.”
According to Cleaning The Glass, Bridges is currently registering his lowest usage rate since his 2021-22 season with the Phoenix Suns. His role within the Knicks system appears to be nuanced, with his impact making a genuine difference on both sides of the floor.
“They could have just done the Towns thing,” Simmons continued. “They could have kept everything else they had and waited. But they went all in…I thought they would use Bridges as more than this complimentary player…He just seems so irrelevant for them sometimes.”
Bridges is playing an important role for the Knicks
Contrary to Simmons beliefs, Bridges has been playing an important role for Thibodeau’s team to begin the season. According to NBA Stats, he currently leads the Knicks in minutes per game (37.2). He’s fourth in touches with (47.2) indicating he’s being trusted as a ball-handler, decision-maker and tertiary playmaker, and sits third on the team for points-per-game with 17.2.
Not every major acquisition needs to lead a team in scoring, or field goal attempts or even usage rate. If you look at Jrue Holiday for the Boston Celtics, he’s playing a similar role to Bridges in New York. Yes, Bridges cost more to acquire, but if his presence within the rotation helps lead to a sustain period of contention for the Knicks, the deal will be viewed favourably by the fanbase.
Bridges might not be an All-Star addition, but his presence on the Knicks roster is already being felt. It’s fair to assume he will only continue improving as he becomes more accustomed to his surroundings and the new system he’s being asked to play within.
Josh Hart has faith in Mikal Brides
The Knicks season got off to the worst possible start as they suffered a 132-109 blowout loss against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, Oct. 22. Speaking to the media during his postgame news conference, Josh Hart threw his support behind Bridges — who had received criticism for his shooting form — noting how he doesn’t ‘care about anything else’ besides winning.
“Mikal don’t care about anything else. We don’t care about all the background noise about Mikal, his shot,” Hart told reporters on October 22. “We don’t care about it. He puts the work in every day. He’s gonna be good. The talk around it is stupid, and there’s stupidity to it. Because at the end of the day, he’s been a – almost – a 40% career three-point shooter. So, the talk around it is stupid. We’re not really gonna entertain it.”
The Knicks are 3-3 in their first six games of the season. They have plenty of time to figure things out and embark on a win streak. For now, though, Bridges, Karl-Anthony Towns and the rest of New York’s roster must continue working and developing their chemistry. Because when the playoffs arrive, they’re going to need it.
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