New York Knicks Small Forward Mikal Bridges had a career night on Sunday as the New York Knicks dominated the New Orleans Pelicans at home 118-85. Bridges led the game with 31 points and tied his career high with 7 made three-pointers. He last made seven triples on March 29, 2024, against the Chicago Bulls. Bridges came to the New York Knicks with great fanfare following a shocking trade in July that saw the New York Knicks overhaul their team.
This trade allowed him to reunite with former Villanova teammate and star Point Guard Jalen Brunson. Bridges is only averaging 15.5 points, 3.7 boards, and 3.3 assists through 19 games this season. He is also shooting a career-worst 30.6% from downtown this season. Will Sunday‘ strong showing help Bridges get on track this season?
Mikal Bridges Career Summary
MIKAL BRIDG3S tied his career-high 3PM 👌 pic.twitter.com/OSooMoMIM1
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) December 2, 2024
The Villanova product has been a solid player since he was selected No. 10 overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2018 NBA Draft. Philadelphia was a perfect fit for Bridges as he grew up in the city and his mother worked for the organization. He was ultimately traded to the Phoenix Suns on draft night. He was a crucial piece of the Suns team that reached the 2021 NBA Finals. They went on to lose in six games to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Bridges found himself traded once more as part blockbuster trade that sent Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets to the Phoenix Suns in February 2023. Bridges played in Brooklyn until he was traded to the New York Knicks during the offseason. Bridges is one of the league’s best defensive players as he finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting during the 2021-2022 season. He finished behind Marcus Smart for the prestigious award. His commitment to defense makes the former Villanova Wildcat a perfect fit for Head Coach Tom Thibodeau’s style of play.
New York Knicks Season Summary
New York entered the season with lofty expectations following a run to the Eastern Conference Semifinals last season and another marquee trade that brought Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks. They are currently the Eastern Conference’s fourth seed with a 12-8 record. Like it or not, New York did not stand pat with a roster that yielded them the most regular season wins(50) since the 2012-2013 season. The 2024 New York Knicks have been much better on offense and substantially worse on defense than a year ago.
For example, New York is fifth in points per game this season and was 19th last season. On the flip side, they are 17th in opposing points per game this season and were second last season. This major shift in team identity can be boiled down to one thing. Towns replaced Center Isaiah Hartenstein during the offseason. Hartenstein is a defensive-minded player while Towns focuses primarily on the offensive end of the floor. Thibodeau is one of the best coaches in the National Basketball Association and has been getting the most out of his players over his coaching career. He will find the right recipe as the regular season continues.
Final Thoughts
The New York Knicks play the second game of their four-game homestand on Tuesday night against the Orlando Magic. New York, powered by Bridges, will look to carry this momentum into their upcoming games. The Knicks are still one of the Eastern Conference’s most formidable teams, and if Bridges can keep up this level of play, the Knicks will be a force to be reckoned with.
