Mikal Bridges should have a longer leash coming off a championship. It would be difficult to change a starting lineup just five months after that same group helped end the New York Knicks' 53-year championship drought.
Yet, while Bridges has remained in the starting lineup, his minutes have dropped substantially amid his struggles to start the season. It is a trend that harkens back to the 2020-21 season. That year, Tom Thibodeau kept Elfrid Payton in the starting lineup despite Derrick Rose getting far more minutes.
Bridges benched in fourth quarter on Wednesday
The 30-year-old Bridges has struggled offensively in stretches since joining the Knicks. But this one is going on 11 games, and it’s hard to find another stretch this long where Bridges isn’t putting the ball in the basket.
In Wednesday night’s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Bridges received only 17 minutes of playing time. He took only three shots, made one, and finished with two points. Bridges didn’t even see the court in the fourth quarter. This is far from the first time that he hasn't been out there during crunch time.
Through New York’s first 11 outings, Bridges is averaging 24.4 minutes per game. Landry Shamet has overtaken him in total minutes. This is down from Bridges' 32.8 minutes per game last season and 37.0 in 2024-25 (a year he hinted to the media that Thibodeau should play his bench more).
The numbers aren’t pretty for Bridges so far: 5.9 points per game, 32.9 percent field-goal shooting, 26.5 percent 3-point accuracy, and four total free-throw attempts. Yes, he deserves a longer leash, but with the way his minutes are trending, you wonder whether Mike Brown will eventually make a starting lineup change if things don’t turn around.
Elfrid Payton was in a similar situation 6 years ago
In the 2020-21 season, the Knicks were a surprise playoff team after going 21-45 the previous year. Elfrid Payton started at point guard during that playoff campaign.
Early that season, the Knicks traded for Rose, which helped turn things around and earn them a postseason spot. Payton remained a starter despite a drastic drop in minutes.
Over the last 29 regular season games, Payton played just 18.3 minutes per contest. He averaged 7.3 points and was a -44 over that time, despite the team going 20-9.
Thibodeau started Payton for the first two games of the series against the Atlanta Hawks, then didn't play him the next three.
While not the same situation—and with different head coaches—Bridges and Payton are two examples of Knicks starters struggling to score and, thus, receiving fewer and fewer minutes.
Bridges has a long track record of being a very good offensive player. The hope will remain that the next game is the one in which he turns it around, until he actually does.
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