Mikal Bridges drew some attention of the less desirable kind by spending crunch-time of the team's recent games against the Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets on the sideline. But the 29-year-old wing's stats in his first season and a half with the New York Knicks are extremely similar to his averages from 2021-23 as a member of the Phoenix Suns, demanding a complicated question of the team's five first-round pick, $150 million man. Is he not exactly who New York's front office traded for?
Five first-round pick trade seems to make evaluating Bridges impossible
Bridges has previously served in a similar role, on the Phoenix Suns, to that created by his current set of circumstances on the Knicks. He averaged 14.2 points, 2.3 assists, and 1.2 steals per game on 36.9% 3-point shooting in the 2021-22 campaign, his final full season with the Suns.
Before being traded to the Brooklyn Nets halfway through the 2022-23 season, he was averaging 17.2 points, 3.6 assists, and 1.2 steals on 38.7% 3-point shooting. In his career with the Knicks thus far, Bridges is averaging 16.8 points, 3.9 assists, and 1.1 steals per game on 36.6% 3-point shooting.
While fans might be disappointed that the haul of first-round picks didn't land them Giannis Antetokounmpo or a seemingly generational young star, it did seem to land the Knicks the exact player they traded for.
Josh Hart shares faith in Mikal Bridges to deliver Knicks success
After the team's win over the Houston Rockets, one of Bridges' current – and former – teammates acknowledged the pressure the trade package levies on the two-way wing and how the rest of the team can make sure they're helping Bridges help them.
“I guess," Hart told Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News when asked if Bridges faces loftier expectations than he deserves because of the draft picks associated with his acquisition. "At the end of the day, Kal’s gonna do what he’s gotta do. He’s gonna find his way. Like I said, I think there’s times where we can do a better job of making sure he’s involved offensively and aggressive and get him into his spots...we’ve gotta make sure we put him in position to be successful and not just doing it within the flow of the offense.”
Hart wasn't expected to publicly express any doubt of his teammate. But his words about Bridges' game emanated more than just blind optimism. Hart and Bridges know each other well, and the team's Swiss Army knife spoke confidently about the contributions they expect as a group from the wing from Philadelphia.
“We know what we have in him," Hart told Winfield of Bridges. "We know what he means to the team. And the beauty of him is he can have a terrible game the whole game and make a game-winning play, and I think he’s done that. I wouldn’t say terrible game, but he’s done that plenty of times, making game-winning plays late in the game when we need him. That’s why we got him."
As Hart alluded to, Bridges' biggest tests will come in the NBA Playoffs. If benching him late in games for Landry Shamet helps the Knicks get there – so be it.