Another key member of the New York Knicks suffered an injury as Miles "Deuce" McBride turned his ankle against the Magic on Sunday. His x-rays were negative but he was seen in a walking boot. Any injury is unfortunate, especially before an NBA Cup bout with the Raptors. Head coach Mike Brown does, however, suddenly have a chance to prove that he understands – and can correct – one of New York's biggest problems from last season. Continuing to deploy Mikal Bridges in the optimal defensive role is crucial if the Knicks want to avoid their biggest problem from last season.
Knicks' starting lineup didn't optimize Bridges
The Knicks and Nuggets played their starters more than any other team last season, both in the regular season and playoffs. The difference, however, was that New York's lineup consistently underperformed. The team had just traded a war chest's worth of draft capital for Bridges, who didn't live up to his billing. The Knicks have discovered this year that part of the reason for that was the defensive role that Bridges was deployed in when sharing the court with Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Bridges earned his reputation for defense with his coverage of star point guards, where he showcased that his speed and persistence went along well with his size and length. Even with Anunoby on the court, though, the lineup featuring Towns at center left Bridges as both the first line of defense against star playmakers and the most adept at forcing players he isn't matched up against into turnovers.
Aside from the exhausting physical commitment that both simultaneously required, it wasn't possible for Bridges to be in two places at once. He couldn't be the Knick most responsible for slowing down opponents' first actions and also picking off passing lanes on the other side of the court.
Knicks need an alternate solution than McBride
This season, the emergence of lineups featuring McBride with starters was fueled by unplanned injuries but unlocked Bridges defensively, an example of a positive coming out of a negative.
McBride's injury will sideline him, rendering him unable to guard the point of attack. Brown, who has told reporters he'll continue to start Hart over McBride, has to make sure that he doesn't fall into the trap that plagued the Knicks last season. While the starters with Hart provide a high-energy look that has found success on offense, the defensive tradeoff is too high at times.
Whether it's Hart himself or other bench pieces like Jordan Clarkson, someone has to take McBride's place on the frontline. That will set Bridges up to continue to succeed, turning drives and passes into turnovers and fast-break dunks.