Just a few months ago, the idea of acquiring Mikal Bridges seemed like a joke. The Brooklyn Nets had no interest in moving one of their key pieces, but the New York Knicks remained patient and waited for an opportunity to strike. They offered Brooklyn a deal they couldn’t refuse, adding yet another Villanova product to a team brimming with chemistry.
Knicks’ Surprising Acquisition of Mikal Bridges
In fact, Knicks sharpshooter Donte DiVincenzo still can’t believe they managed to secure Bridges and his elite defense. Specifically, he mentioned that it didn’t seem “believable,” suggesting that there had been discussions but never realistic considerations.
“It’s not even believable, to be honest with you,” DiVincenzo said, via Sam Israel of CBS 6 Albany . “It’s not a situation where we tried to go out and do it, we talked about it. It’s never been like that. Everybody kinda just went along with their own path and ended up back with each other.”
Villanova Alumni Reunion
The four Villanova standouts all went their separate ways after dominating college basketball, but finding their way back to one another in the biggest sports market in the country was an act of a higher power. This upcoming season, the Knicks have significant expectations to make a deep playoff push, barring any unforeseen health complications.
Postseason Challenges and Expectations
Last year, they struggled to remain healthy during the postseason, relying heavily on Jalen Brunson to bail them out of difficult situations, which he did heroically on several occasions.
Bridges’ Impact and Role
Bridges is yet another piece of the puzzle, a 6-foot-6, 209-pound forward with a former first-team All-Defense nod under his belt. During the 2021–22 season with the Phoenix Suns, he ranked second in Defensive Player of the Year voting, averaging 14.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and shooting .534 from the field.
This past season with Brooklyn, he averaged 19.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and shot .436 from the field and .372 from downtown. The most exciting aspect of Bridges is his health history, having played a minimum of 72 games over six seasons. The Knicks desperately needed more upside in that regard, and he presents them with one of the healthiest and most durable players in the league.
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Adjustments and Team Depth
Adding him to the equation inevitably sends DiVincenzo to the bench, but he will get plenty of opportunities to make an impact and will be doing it against other team’s reserves and rotational pieces. New York has an extremely deep team with an elite starting five, giving them enough firepower to compete against teams like the Boston Celtics.