The Knicks' defense was likely all smiles after Mike Brown said he wouldn't always use Mikal Bridges as the point-of-attack defender this year, noting that Bridges is very good in a chaser role.
That should be music to the ears of the Knicks' faithful, as well, as Bridges struggled as an on-ball defender for much of last season, while being used almost exclusively in that role. Bridges is still a good defender, at times very good, but doesn't possess the physicality or screen navigation skills to give the league's elite ball-handlers a hard enough time.
In fact, Bridges ranked as the worst screen navigator in the league last season, according to BBall-Index's screen navigation metric. If Bridges is used in a more suitable role on the defensive end this season, it should not only set him up to have a better individual season, but boost the entire defense as well.
Who will step into the role?
The fact that Brown said that Bridges will play the point-of-attack defensive role "some" makes me assume he will mainly do it when the Knicks go double big with both Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson on the floor.
Of course there is always the chance that OG Anunoby helps there as well. For example, last season in the Knicks' playoff series against the Detroit Pistons, Anunoby guarded Cade Cunningham for 290 possessions, while Bridges guarded him for just 85.
The best option would be having Miles McBride serve as the primary point-of-attack defender, while Bridges shifts to an off-ball, chaser role. Unlike Bridges, McBride is a phenomenal screen navigator and is a tenacious defender who is also quick enough to keep up with the league's faster guards. To be fair, the Knicks lose a bit of height by using McBride over Bridges, but the tradeoff is worth it.
Reading the opposition
Brown went on to note that the personnel of the opponent will dictate who the point-of-attack defender is, which makes a ton of sense. Teams that play with multiple bigs, as the Cavaliers do with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, could mean the Knicks are more likely to use Bridges so that they can have another big on the floor.
At the same time, when they play against smaller and faster ball-handlers, it could be an indication that McBride will get the assignment. Another factor is Robinson's health, as it is unlikely that he will play in back-to-backs.