Mikal Bridges' offensive progress under Mike Brown is receiving a ton of attention. Rightfully so. Even after a slight downtick, the playmaking still pops. He's averaging a career-high in assists per game. Yet, not enough focus is being dedicated to another tweak the New York Knicks have made: having him defend away from the ball more often.
It sounds like a simple adjustment. But the Knicks couldn’t figure out how to make it under Tom Thibodeau last season. And sheesh, were they missing out.
Because as it turns out, this seemingly simple adjustment is fueling historically significant results to start the season.
Mikal Bridges, Dwyane Wade, Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan have something in common
Bridges is currently averaging over two seals and one block per game. That is an absurd feat for a non-big.
Historical, too.
Here is the complete list of NBA non-centers who have averaged over two steals and one block per game for an entire season:
- Charles Barkley
- Julius Erving
- Bobby Jones
- Eddie Jones
- Michael Jordan (two times)
- Shawn Marion (two times)
- Scottie Pippen (three times)
- Dwyane Wade
That is pretty good company to keep. And if Bridges’ current defensive playmaking holds, he will be the first non-center to hit these benchmarks since Dwyane Wade did it in 2008-09—nearly two decades ago.
This Knicks tweak looks good on Bridges
Fans may not be over the moon about anything Knicks-related on the defensive end at the moment. I can’t blame them. New York has plenty of cracks and fissures in its system, including an opponent-friendly form of closing out on three-pointers.
Still, displacing Bridges from full-time primary ball-handler duty is a change everyone can get behind—in large part because it’s an overdue shift.
Last year, Bridges spent 26.35 percent of his defensive possessionsd guarding a primary ball-handler, according to BBall Index. That mark shattered his previous career high. He had never logged more than 21.48 percent of his possessions versus primary ball-handlers.
This number has mercifully plummeted to begin the 2025-26 season. Just 17.52 percent of Bridges’ defensive possessions are coming opposite primary ball-handlers. That is a monstrous drop. He’s basically spending 20 percent fewer of his possessions on primary-ball-handler duty.
Limiting this volume is key to maximizing his impact. He has always been best served disrupting plays away from the ball. And while the Knicks still have him guarding the ball more than the Phoenix Suns ever did, they’re freeing up enough time for him to party-crash passing lanes and provide help around the basket.
To be sure, Bridges continues to rumble with the opposition’s first option on more than a few occasions. But his matchups are more thoroughly gamed out. This gives him more opportunities to provide help, and also more chances to come up with on-ball blocks, since he’s getting more reps on guys not accustomed to getting shots off over length.
The Knicks’ defense has a long way to go. They are currently allowing more points per possession with Bridges on the floor than when he’s off. That says more about the lineups in which he plays, as well as some noisy opponent three-point shooting.
Bridges’ activity level is allowing New York to force more turnovers, and get out in transition waaay more, which is where the 29-year-old happens to be a dangerous scorer. If the Knicks ever figure it out as a team, his disruption in his adapted role will be part of the solution.