New York Knicks wing Mikal Bridges has ranked among the most important players on the roster during the 2026 NBA Playoffs. Despite a degree of controversy surrounding his individual statistics, his defense and timely scoring have proven nothing short of essential to team success.
Once the 2026 Eastern Conference Finals begin, however, Bridges will face his toughest test yet: Defending either Cade Cunningham or Donovan Mitchell.
Bridges has taken on the unenviable role of having to slow down some of the quickest guards in the Eastern Conference during the 2026 postseason. That started when he primarily matched up against Nickeil Alexander-Walker and CJ McCollum in a tough first-round series.
The second round proved just as challenging, if not more so, as Bridges was tasked with defending two-time All-Star Tyrese Maxey.
The trio of Alexander-Walker, Maxey, and McCollum forced Bridges to play a demanding style on the defensive end of the floor. He was tasked with keeping up with dynamic dribble penetrators and lights-out shooters who could make him pay for even a momentary lapse in intensity.
Whether it's Cunningham or Mitchell whom Bridges ultimately defends in the Conference Finals, the Knicks will need him at his best if they hope to win the series.
Mikal Bridges must slow down Cunningham or Mitchell in ECF
Cunningham and Mitchell admittedly couldn't be more different in terms of their size, athleticism, scoring arsenal, and playmaking style. What can be comfortably stated about both, however, is that they have the ability to turn a series on its head with their individual abilities.
That was evident during the most recent game of the second-round series between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons. when Mitchell went off for 43 points in a 112-103 win.
It was Mitchell's eighth career 40-point performance during the NBA Playoffs—tied for the 14th-most in history. Not to be overshadowed, the 24-year-old Cunningham dropped 45 points during Game 5 of Detroit's first-round series against the Orlando Magic—and added 32 points and 10 rebounds in Game 6, and 32 points and 12 assists in Game 7.
Suffice it to say, both Cunningham and Mitchell are capable of the type of electric dominance that can not only swing a game in their team's favor, but change the very dynamic of a series.
Jalen Brunson may be the player tasked with going shot-for-shot with his fellow All-Stars, but Bridges' defense will be vital. If he can slow either Cunningham or Mitchell down, then the Knicks' odds of victory will increase exponentially. If he can't, however, then the Knicks' dream of ending a 26-year NBA Finals drought could go up in flames.
It's a tall task for Bridges to have to take on, but if the Knicks want to end the drought and defeat either Cleveland or Detroit, they'll need him to showcase his All-Defense abilities.
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