Mikal Bridges can’t guard guards anymore. That is the unfortunate truth, and the New York Knicks need to accept it now, before it becomes a problem. Do not get me wrong, he is still a high-level defender, but asking him to chase quick ball-handlers over screens like he did back in his Phoenix Suns days? It's just not going to pan out.
That version of Mikal Bridges is gone
It is easy to forget now, but just a few years ago, Bridges was on the short list for the league’s most respected defenders. In 2022, he did not just flirt with Defensive Player of the Year; he nearly took the award home. He finished second in the voting, pulling in 22 first-place votes and earning a spot on the All-Defensive First Team. If it were not for Boston Celtics' Marcus Smart that year, Bridges would have another accolade on his career resume.
As Sam Vecenie put it on the Game Theory Podcast, “He’s nowhere near that level (his ability to play defence like in 2022) at this point. He is an above-average defender, and that there are just real flaws in terms of what he can do right now.”
It is important to note that these flaws are not about effort. They are more physical than anything. Vecenie clears that up by saying, “ His hip flexibility, his ability to kind of get around screens, it’s just not as effective as what you want it to be now.”
The sad truth is that these kinds of things happen. Players change as time goes on. But even with that being said, what the Knicks can’t do is keep treating Bridges like the guy who locked up point guards with ease. Because now, he is better suited to defending wings and forwards, and in that role, he is still excellent.
Bridges is still a major asset. There is a reason the Knicks inked him to a new contract extension. His defense was absolutely key in the playoffs last year, especially against the Boston Celtics. But he should not be your go-to on guards, and luckily, he does not have to be.
The Knicks have other options to help with defensive matchups. OG Anunoby can handle multiple assignments, and if the Knicks want even more help, there are still options in free agency, Ben Simmons among them.
Here is the bottom line: Bridges is still a great player, but his role has to shift. The sooner the Knicks accept that, the better the team, and Bridges, himself, will be.