On Bleacher Report’s Game Meets Game, Breece Hall squared off against Mikal Bridges in NBA 2K25. This matchup quickly led the New York Jets running back to a sharp realization about the current roster depth of the Knicks. Hall chose to play this game as the Phoenix Suns, while Bridges stuck with his Knicks. This gave the NBA star an edge over the NFL youngster.
Every player on the Manhattan team had an overall rating of at least 80. In contrast, the Suns had one player, namely Grayson Allen, who didn’t cut with a rating of 78. This disparity in squad strength immediately caught Hall’s eyes. The 23-year-old voiced his concerns.
“Sheesh. That’s a lot of high overalls right there.”
The gap became even more apparent once the game began. Bridges was sinking shots with ease, thanks to his star-studded roster. Meanwhile, Hall struggled right from the start and fell into a 0-4 deficit. This prompted him to declare,
“Y’all got so much depth though. That’s just not fair. That’s really not fair.”
“Sheesh that’s a lot of high overalls right there…Y’all just got so much depth tho, it’s really not fair”
–– Breece Hall to Mikal Bridges on the Knicks pic.twitter.com/cr7ZqXabP3
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) September 19, 2024
Hall’s playful frustration was understandable given the balance, chemistry, and depth of the Knicks’ roster. For context, their talisman, Jalen Brunson, has established himself as one of the NBA’s top talents. His leadership orchestrated the franchise’s consecutive postseason runs for the first time in over a decade.
His Villanova teammates, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo, have also been key in stabilizing the team. Hart has become a defensive anchor and even posted a career-high 8.3 rebounds per game last season. DiVincenzo emerged as a greater threat from beyond the arc during the previous campaign. He set a career-high three-point shooting percentage of 40.1%.
Fans anticipate that the franchise staple, Julius Randle, will step up as a center this upcoming season. He played in this position during his 2017/18 season with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he remarkably averaged 16.1 points, and 8 rebounds per game.
These players can also switch positions to leverage their strengths. For instance, Hart has experience as a center. So, he could fill in for Randle when needed. This will allow the latter to play in his preferred forward position. Likewise, DiVincenzo can shift to a facilitator role, and let Brunson take on the shooting guard position.
The franchise strengthened its roster by adding Bridges during the offseason. The 28-year-old can play both guard and forward. As a Villanova alumnus, he already has established chemistry with Brunson, DiVincenzo, and Hart. His addition thus increases the roster’s already impressive potential.
This puts the Knicks in a strong position to challenge the defending champions, the Boston Celtics. Can they come out on top this season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
