Mikal Bridges and Tom Thibodeau didn't always see eye to eye in the defensive wing's first season with the Knicks. Now, Bridges will have a new head coach to get accustomed to, as Mike Brown takes over the sideline. One thing that should put Bridges in Brown's good graces is his tendency to make quick decisions on offense in the front court.
One of the few things Brown has made clear about his plans for the Knicks this season is that he wants them to lean into pace-and-space. It is the same type of offense he ran while he was the head coach of the Sacramento Kings and as an assistant in Golden State.
People often associate pace with running the floor and getting out in transition. While that is certainly an element of playing quicker, it is only part of it. Brown wants his players to make quick decisions with the ball in their hands, too. Luckily for Bridges, that is something that he does well.
Bridges is decisive with the ball in his hands
Last season, according to league tracking data, Bridges had the second-most front-court touches in the league, where he held the ball for one second or less. He was one of only three players in the league to have at least 1,000 touches that met that criteria.
A fair push back to that is that Bridges plays more than almost any player, something that has earned him a reputation as an ironman. However, when you look at it by touches per game, Bridges still ranked eighth-most in the league, with 12.7 touches per game of one second or less.
Another big positive is that the Knicks generated 1.28 points per possession on possessions where Bridges had a front-court touch, where he held the ball for one second or less. That is higher than any other team Bridges has been on over the last four seasons, on possessions meeting that criteria.
The transition plays stand out
Of those quick touches discussed above, 133 of them came on transition possessions, the most of anyone in the league. Bridges had an average touch time of just 0.73 seconds on those plays, and the Knicks generated 1.48 points per possession on average.
Bridges' willingness to run the floor and move the ball quickly when it finds him should make him a favorite of the Knicks' new coach as they set out on their quest for a championship.