Mikal Bridges Coming Into His Own With Knicks

New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges will always have a hating community on the other side of New York City in the Brooklyn Nets. No matter how his tenure with the Knicks goes, there will always be people criticizing the Knicks for giving up a heap of first-round picks to reunite the forward with his former college teammates.

At the start of the 2024-25 NBA season, that noise was as loud as it could’ve possibly been. Through the first 10 games of the season, Bridges was averaging 15.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists on 30.8% shooting from three. At the time, the Knicks were 5-5 and looking like a completely different team from the projections back before the season.

There was a lot to dislike about the Knicks to start the season: poor defense, the inability to close games, and Bridges’ awkward fit. Head coach Tom Thibodeau even benched the forward in the fourth quarter of multiple games as New York struggled.

To put it simply, the narrative has flipped. On Christmas Day, Bridges gifted New York fans with an incredible 41-point performance to take down Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs. It was the second-most points scored on Christmas at Madison Square Garden, behind Bernard King’s iconic 60-point performance in 1984.

On national television, Bridges showed people why the Knicks gave up that much for his services. In fact, he’s shown fans over the last 10 games. In a stretch where New York has gone 8-2, the 28-year-old has averaged 21.9 points, 3.7 assists, and 2.4 rebounds on 57.1% shooting from the field and 44.9% from three.

This is what fans knew Bridges could be with the Knicks: a legitimate third or fourth option on a title contender. Behind Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson, he has supplemented New York’s starting five with elite shooting and high-IQ basketball. His patented midrange jumper has been so effective on a team with so many three-point shooters.

Bridges has become a major reason why the Knicks are 20-10 and have the second-best offensive rating in the league. The hope is that this play stays consistent and carries into the postseason.

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