The New York Knicks have been good, but not great to start the 2024-25 NBA season. Though the Knicks have been working to develop continuity on the fly and overcome their lackluster bench, one of their biggest stars has not shone as bright as he can on the campaign.
Knicks: Mikal Bridges has not played up to his talent this season
Knicks wing Mikal Bridges has underwhelmed this season. The Villanova product is leading the league in minutes at 38.3 minutes per game. Yet, he is only putting up 15.8 points per contest in that time.
Bridges looks different from the burgeoning fringe-All-Star who boasted 19.6 PPG for the Brooklyn Nets last season. He has not reflected the talent who took over the second half of the 2022-23 campaign with the 26.1 PPG he sported in Brooklyn.
Admittedly, OG Anunoby has asserted himself as New York’s third scorer at 17.8 PPG. His aggression is needed for the franchise. Additionally, Karl-Anthony Towns has returned to dominant form after taking a backseat to Anthony Edwards on the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2023-24 and is looking like a borderline MVP candidate with his 26.1 PPG. Further, last season’s MVP candidate Jalen Brunson is scoring 25.1 PPG behind Towns, making the team’s starting lineup crowded with offensive punch.
Bridges could jolt the Knicks bench’s offense
Albeit, the Knicks bench is the worst in the NBA. They can’t buy a bucket, averaging a league-worst 20 PPG. Even with Miles McBride healthy, their second unit ranked toward the bottom of the league.
The common denominator is Bridges. New York could realistically be leaving double-digit scoring on the table off their bench every game. Thus, it may be advantageous for Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau to stagger the Pennsylvania native’s minutes with the second unit.
Bridges may thrive with a green light next to reserves
Bridges coming out of the game first will allow their four other starters to continue to score with free range. Once McBride, Cam Payne, and Jericho Sims enter the game, Bridges can be that No. 1 option that carries the scoring load. His midrange shooting has been strong this season and he’s still hitting a stout 46.9 percent of his looks from the field.
Therefore, the Knicks could solve their bench-scoring issue and allow all of their heavy hitters including Bridges to get theirs by playing the 28-year-old more with the second unit in bunches.
