Mikal Bridges had a rough opener this past Wednesday. That said, so, too, did the New York Knicks.
Yet, despite this adjacent truth, fans and pundits alike have come in droves to call out the individual rather than the organization for the lackluster showing against the reigning NBA Champion Boston Celtics.
A quick reminder to the New York faithful: It was only game one!
Now, of course, this reality check does not fully excuse Bridges, nor the Knicks for their abysmal performances. After all, they allowed the Celtics to cash in on 57.8 percent of their 45 long-range attempts and go up 113-87 before the garbage-time fourth quarter rolled around.
However, amid all the turmoil and heartache that come with any blowout loss, positives can still be taken away from the occasion. One, in particular, is the realization of how the ball club can wind up getting the most out of their new star wing.
The way for Knicks to unlock Mikal Bridges is as clear as day
Acquired back in July via the blockbuster trade with the Brooklyn Nets, Mikal Bridges joined this 2024-25 Knicks squad pegged as a difference-making commodity; Someone who was believed to be an ideal third-option next to former Villanova teammate Jalen Brunson and All-NBA big man Julius Randle.
While the latter was ultimately shipped out to the Minnesota Timberwolves in early October to acquire star center Karl-Anthony Towns, the logic behind his rotational fit still seemed to apply.
Fast forward to October 22nd's season opener against Boston, however, and what became evident from a schematic standpoint was that, right out of the gates, Bridges seemed to be used more as a fourth, possibly even a fifth option on the offensive side of the ball behind guys like OG Anunoby and, to a certain extent, Josh Hart.
It took over four minutes before the 28-year-old attempted his first shot which came off a quick catch-and-shoot setup from Brunson early in the shot clock.
By the time halftime rolled around, Bridges tallied a mere five total shot attempts, four of which came with him serving as an off-ball option from beyond the arc and none wound up cashing in.
With these results, many were quick to point toward his admittedly awkward new shooting form as a reason for his putrid efficiency, and, on some level, this talking point certainly may have played a factor -- let's not forget he went 2-for-19 from distance and shot a lowly 41.0 percent from the floor as a whole throughout the preseason.
That said, perhaps more than anything, the reason for his shoddy debut may have very well been due to a lack of confidence.
Since crossing the East River to join the Knicks, much attention has been drawn to both the capital it took to land him (sent the rights to six first-round picks to the Nets in the package) and his odd new shooting stroke.
To have all this buzz surrounding him, and then to be left out on the wing serving as a mere role player and long-range specialist while his should-be co-stars (not clear alphas) in Brunson and Towns take on the lion's share of work can't be good for building back his confidence.
Sure, throughout his seven-year career, Bridges has established himself as one of the game's premier shooters from deep, especially from the corner (where the Knicks stationed him at the beginning of Wednesday's opener), where he ranked fourth in makes with 82 in 2023-24.
Nonetheless, this does not warrant his usage of being an off-ball, catch-and-shoot, one-trick pony.
Along with his long ball, Bridges is also an avid rim-runner who, last season, totaled 870 drives and 11.4 drives per 36 minutes, a cold-blooded assassin down the stretch who ranked sixth in total points scored in the clutch, and, for his career, has proven to be a sensational defender.
In other words, he's the full package when it comes to what teams want in their franchise wing.
Now, it is worth mentioning that during the third period, New York began to run more offensive sets with Mikal as the focal point weapon, which visibly helped boost his confidence. Ultimately, this experiment led to an impressive and highly efficient second-half where he dropped 16 points on 87.5 percent shooting from the field and 66.7 percent shooting from deep.
Of course, this switch-up came a bit too little, too late as the Celtics had already gotten into their groove and coasted to a dominating 132-109 win where all starters were pulled early on in the fourth. Still, it's a clear reminder of what, exactly, they have in the likes of Bridges.
No, this is not a plea for Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns to take a step back from serving as the club's 1A and 1B options, but, rather, a cue that they, along with coach Thibodeau, need to find more ways to get their tertiary running mate more involved, especially early on.
Whether that be by attacking the pick-and-roll or two-man game with him and JB or, simply, getting him the ball at the top of the key and letting him serve as the primary handler from time to time (be it in the scoring or, arguably more important, facilitation department), it's pivotal for this team to make it known their splashy July acquisition is seen as a vital commodity for their success because, well, he is.
With his enviable 6-foot-6 and 7-foot-1 wingspan coupled with his well-established two-way abilities, Mikal Bridges is truly an elite talent on both ends of the floor and the Knicks must treat him as so to reach their fullest potential.