The New York Knicks and their fanbase have high hopes for their marquee offseason acquisition Mikal Bridges, yet a former franchise star thinks that he may struggle to transition into his new role.
NBA great Mike Bibby, who played for the Knicks at the tail end of his career in 2011-12, acknowledged the fact that the Villanova product will be joining the Knicks as their presumed No. 3 option on offense behind All-Stars Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle after being the man with the Brooklyn Nets. Bibby made the case that the reduction in touches and focus in the offense could impact his season.
Mike Bibby believes Mikal Bridges’ offensive situation with the Knicks is up in the air
As a recent guest on Scoop B. Radio with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson, the former No. 2 overall pick had this to say in length about Bridges’ upcoming situation (h/t Geoff Magliocchetti of New York Knicks on SI):
“You have to see it play out,” Bibby said in an interview with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson of Scoop B Radio. “He was a No. 1 option in Brooklyn. When you’re on a new team and you’re not the No. 1 option no more, you have to see how a guy’s going to play out in that situation.”
There is much anticipation for Bridges’ debut for several reasons. Many believe that he will thrive in New York thanks to the pre-existing camaraderie he shares with his former collegiate teammates Brunson, Josh Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo. Additionally, the 28-year-old’s style of play does not necessitate him having the ball in his hands for long periods of time, so he does not need an abundance of looks to get his on offense.
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Will Bridges’ chemistry with his teammates ease his transition into the Knicks’ offense?
Nevertheless, Bibby makes a valid point. As a former franchise player of a championship contender in the Sacramento Kings of the early and mid-2000s, he would know better than many what it is like to adjust from being the guy in an offense to a cog, especially given his role as the Kings’ primary decision-maker for his tenure. Bridges went from averaging 13.6 shot attempts per game with the Phoenix Suns prior to his 2022-23 trade deadline deal to the Nets, to taking 18.6 field goals per contest in Brooklyn at the tail end of that campaign, before neutralizing back to 15.8 FGA in 2023-24.
Seeing a rollercoaster swing like that may be challenging to deal with, but his touches figure to be the same or very close to it in New York, with Brunson slated for north of 19 shots, and Randle north of 17. The Pennsylvania native will be asked to shoulder a great burden on defense too, so there is a chance that he takes a backseat on offense. No matter, how prominent of a role he has in Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau’s offense will be largely predicated on how strongly he goes after it in training camp and preseason, leading up to the beginning of the next campaign.
