Knicks New Star Only Got Better With Nets

New York Knicks guard Mikal Bridges isn’t like most stars that get traded.

Normally, stars request to be traded because a team isn’t good or they find themselves unhappy, but that couldn’t be farther than the truth in Bridges’ case. Bridges didn’t request to be traded by the Nets, but when the Knicks offered him several future first-round picks that were unprotected, it was an offer Brooklyn couldn’t say no to.

Bridges spoke about his time with the Nets in the most recent episode of the Roommates Show, which recorded live in Central Park.

“Y’all should appreciate Brooklyn because it made me better,” Bridges said about his time with the Nets. “My game grew there.”

Bridges did grow tremendously in his two seasons with the Nets, and his numbers reflected that. After averaging 12.2 points per game in five seasons with the Phoenix Suns, Bridges saw that number grow to 21.2 with the Nets.

The reason behind this big shift? For starters, his role changed drastically. Bridges went from being a mere role player to the top option in the offense, which put the ball in his hands a lot more often.

However, the role he had with the Nets won’t be the same as what’s planned for him in the Knicks offense. The job of being the primary creator and scorer will go to star point guard Jalen Brunson. Bridges may not even be the secondary contributor, as that job goes to power forward Julius Randle when he returns to good health.

Bridges will likely revert back to being a third or fourth option for the Knicks, and while that may not reflect the price he was traded for, the experiences he had with the Nets will certainly come into play as he hopes to be the “missing piece” New York was searching for all along.

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