During the two-game absence of Jalen Brunson over the past week, the New York Knicks were greeted with an exciting new element of Mikal Bridges' on-court repertoire.
Though perhaps best known as an elite 3&D contributor, without Captain Clutch in the picture, the wing essentially stepped up and took over his role as the de facto playmaker for the team, posting impressive averages of 19.0 points, 4.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and a whopping 3.0 blocks along the way.
To some, this surge was believed to be a mere short-term result of Brunson being out and a need for someone else on the roster to take on head honcho duties, which, even if true, wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. After all, establishing who can be turned to should the guard miss more time down the road is something that can only be beneficial for New York.
However, following the All-Star's recent return against the Mavericks, it appears that this uptick in playmaking isn't necessarily bound to go away anytime soon.
Mikal Bridges's surge in playmaking could stay for long haul with Knicks
During Wednesday's hard-fought 113-111 win over Dallas down in the Lone Star State, Brunson played as he always has throughout his tenure with the Knicks, as he finished with a game-high 28 points to go along with five assists, three boards, and two stocks in 34 minutes of action.
And while seeing the guard play as if he hadn't missed a beat is certainly thrilling on its own, the fact that Bridges' newfound style of play seems as if it's here to stay makes Wednesday night's triumph all the more noteworthy.
In 35 minutes played, the 29-year-old was frequently found with the rock in his hands, letting Brunson lean more into an off-ball approach while easing back into action.
The results proved to be just as electrifying as they'd been without JB in the fold, as he dropped 16 points on 53.8 percent shooting from the floor while leading the team in assists with six.
After a somewhat underwhelming first season with the Knicks, Bridges is truly amid a redemption tour here in the early stages of 2025-26.
From his elite defensive chops that finds him posting career bests in steals (2.1) and blocks (1.2) per game to his second-best long-range shooting clip of 40.7 percent, it's clear that his production has played a significant role in the club's hot 9-5 start to the campaign.
Adding an element such as effective dime-dropping skills to his game (currently averaging a career-high of 4.9 assists and an assist percentage of 19.6 a night) can only make this Knicks team even more lethal.