The New York Knicks did the unthinkable and traded for Mikal Bridges in June. Although he isn't the superstar everyone thought the Knicks would acquire, the team still paid a high price. New York sent Brooklyn five first-round picks.
The Bridges trade was one of the hot topics of the NBA offseason. The Knicks one-upped themselves by trading for Karl-Anthony Towns days before training camp. New York acquired an All-Star after all, but for a lesser price than Bridges.
Towns played better than expected in his first few months with the Knicks, while Bridges had his struggles. His shooting form was questioned, along with his defense. Fans wondered why Leon Rose and Co. paid a high price for a mediocre player. Don't look now, but Bridges has turned things around in the past few weeks.
Mikal Bridges has turned a corner for the New York Knicks
Bridges began December with a season-high 31 points (12-of-19 from the field, 7-of-12 from three) in 36 minutes in a win over the Pelicans. He looked like the player New York traded for.
He's averaging 21.7 points, 3.3 assists, and 2.9 rebounds per game in December, shooting 56.4% from the field and 43.8% from three. Bridges averaged 15.5 points before December and shot 45.4% from the field and 30.6% from deep.
The Knicks didn't trade for him to be the No. 1 option like he was in Brooklyn, nor the No. 2 option. New York's offense is centered around Jalen Brunson and Towns, but that's not a shot at Bridges.
His poor start to the season was overcriticized because the Knicks gave the Nets so much for him. Because of that, his play will always be under a microscope. Bridges' confidence was seemingly at an all-time low, but he's since flipped the switch. It takes time to acclimate to a new environment, even if you don't have to switch cities.
It's perfectly reasonable to say New York gave Brooklyn too much for Bridges, but that doesn't mean the Knicks made a lousy decision by trading for him. He doesn't have to be an All-Star for it to be a successful trade. All Bridges needs to do is be one of the key pieces that helps New York win a championship. It's still early, but he's looked like that player over the past few weeks.