Mikal Bridges broke out as a possible star that can lead a franchise to great success this season after he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in February.
Even though Bridges hasn’t been piling on wins as Kevin Durant did, he’s become a fan favorite in Brooklyn. Paul George thinks Bridges is the most underrated player in the 2023 playoffs and is bracing for a breakout season from the forward.
(49:50) “I will go with Mikal Bridges. He is definitely underrated in this playoff race this year. The stage is set for him to become a star, this is where you become a star. You have to guard and match up against James Harden, and play against MVP frontrunner Joel Embiid. Nothing is expected of you but to go out and compete and he could knock this sh*t out of the park. He’s playing in a huge market in Brooklyn, he has the chance to be a star right now. The way he’s been playing to close the year out, I didn’t know he could be a go-to guy. He’s putting up 30s and 40s, I had no idea because he was in Phoenix, I have always seen him as he’ll be a great role player. He makes the team better.”
Bridges is averaging 26.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 27 games for Brooklyn. He’s currently playing Game 2 in his team’s first-round series against the team that traded him away on draft night, the Philadelphia 76ers. The Nets are in danger of falling to a 2-0 deficit but will hope to beat the 76ers when they’re back at home for Game 3.
Can Bridges Prove He’s A Bonafide No. 1 Option?
Mikal Bridges has not been in a position to carry a franchise before this season. His usage rate on the Phoenix Suns was 19.1% before the trade. That is a pretty low percentage, given the fact the Suns gave Bridges games as the primary scoring option when Devin Booker was hurt. There was no consistency in that role.
On the Nets, Bridges is in the elite group of starts with a 30.1% usage rate and overall stats to back it up. This Nets’ team has a lot of work to do in terms of roster construction around Bridges, but the 2023 playoffs will prove whether they can rely on Mikal to be their franchise cornerstone.
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