Dylan Backer
The criticism of New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges has been very loud from fans and media alike this season. It has been a season that is difficult to evaluate as a whole, but he has entered a huge slump with the playoffs around the corner.
Knicks’ Josh Hart believes criticism of Mikal Bridges is unwarranted
Bridges is only averaging 10.6 points per game since the All-Star break. He had an eight-game stretch this month in which he scored in double figures only twice, and he has slowly been losing his minutes to the other guards on the roster such as Landry Shamet and Jordan Clarkson.
However, despite his recent struggles, teammate Josh Hart believes the criticism Bridges gets on a regular basis is not warranted.
“Last year, he didn’t have many plays called for him. This year, he probably has even less plays called for him. So obviously there’s a mental hurdle he needs to get through and that’s something where some of us can help him,” Hart said, via Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “I think he gets some of that unfair flak just because he’s doing what’s asked of him. And if we were to sit there and say, go shoot 15 shots a game, he would be efficient and he could do it. But that’s not what’s been asked of him.”
The Knicks need the best version of Bridges
Bridges has struggled to find a consistent rhythm on offense since the beginning of the season. Part of that is attributed to his role, as he is the fourth option on a team with score-first players ahead of him.
Nevertheless, his play has certainly not lived up to the price tag of five first-round picks the Knicks gave up to bring him, nor has it lived up to the four-year, $150 million contract extension the Knicks signed him to in the summer. In order for the team to reach its ultimate goal of winning a championship, they need the best possible version of Bridges on a regular basis.
The fact of the matter is that Bridges has the capability to be elite all-around, as demonstrated by his time with the Brooklyn Nets as their top scoring option. However, he hasn’t been able to put it all together this year, and there’s less than a month until the playoffs for him to figure it out.
New York needs Bridges to be at his best, as he can be a crucial piece to a potential championship squad.
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