New York Knicks forward Josh Hart came to the defense of his former Villanova teammate after Tuesday’s season opener in Boston.
Knicks’ Mikal Bridges has been in a massive shooting slump since the preseason
It was not a team debut to remember for newcomer Mikal Bridges. In the first half, he shot 0-for-5 from the floor and 0-for-4 from three as his shooting woes from the preseason continued. He had a stronger second half in which he scored 16 points and shot 7-for-8 from the floor, but it was too late for the Knicks to mount a comeback.
The discussion around Bridges has been a noticeable change in his jump shot, which is likely the root behind his struggles. Hart defended Bridges by shutting down the talk that has been surrounding Bridges and his shooting:
“The talk around it is stupid and we’re not really going to entertain it,” Hart said (h/t SNY’s Ian Begley).
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The Knicks need Bridges to turn things around
As previously stated, Bridges endured a rough shooting patch during the preseason. In four games, he shot just 2-for-19 from three and had an abysmal 0-for-10 performance in the preseason finale. The two-way wing is a career 38% shooter from three and has been a fairly consistent outside weapon for most of his career.
The Knicks traded six first-round draft picks to acquire Bridges in the offseason, so they will want him to turn around his struggles as soon as possible so that New York can get to where they want to be. Growing pains were to be expected, as he is trying to return to a lesser role offensively that more resembles his time with the Phoenix Suns.
However, the Knicks need him to play at his best as they look to compete for an NBA title this season. New York plays their next game back home at Madison Square Garden where they will take on the Indiana Pacers in a playoff rematch. The hope is that Bridges can snap out of his shooting funk by then to help the Knicks respond to an ugly loss.
