The philosophical differences between former New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau and new head coach Mike Brown are painfully apparent. From their willingness to use reserves in regular rotations to their approach to offensive strategies, it's safe to say that these two are as different as sugar and vinegar.
However, perhaps the most significant contrast between this year's Knicks squad and last year's lies in both the play and usage of forward Mikal Bridges.
Mikal Bridges benefiting most from Knicks coaching shift
As was well documented throughout his debut season in the orange and blue threads, Bridges had issues with the heavy minutes he was logging in Thibodeau's scheme, even being quoted as saying it's "not fun on the body."
Of course, he was far from the only Knicks player to discuss bouts of fatigue as a result of the former headman's minutes distribution. Even the Energizer Bunny himself, Josh Hart, acknowledged this topic on multiple occasions throughout Thibs' tenure.
Bridges' career-high 37.0 minutes per game averages in 2024-25 translated to his lowest points per game averages (17.6) since the 2021-22 season, as well as his worst long-range shooting percentage (35.4) since his rookie campaign.
Now in his second season with the club, and with coach Brown running the show, the 29-year-old has found his on-court presence reduced by nearly three minutes a night, which, according to the folks at Knicks Film School, has him on pace to log 184 fewer minutes in total this season compared to last year, the equivilant of four and a half less games.
The results have been tremendous, as Bridges is amid arguably his best season in the pros to date, dropping sensational all-around averages of 16.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks on 53.0 percent shooting from the floor and 41.3 percent shooting from deep while boasting an effective field goal percentage of 62.3.
On top of these everyday counting stats, the differences in the advanced metrics have also been a true sight for sore eyes, as he's gone from a 118.4 offensive rating, a 5.6 net rating, and a plus-minus of +4.1 to, here in 2025-26, 122.4, 8.9, and +6.0, respectively.
Clearly, the shift from Thibodeau to Brown has had a positive impact on this second-seeded Knicks team as a whole over their first 23 games of the 2025-26 season, but, from an individual standpoint, no player has benefited more from this coaching shakeup than Mikal Bridges.