- Cam Johnson thought that he and Mikal Bridges could be a “low-usage” version of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown
- The two wings have enjoyed new roles on the Nets
- The Nets see Mikal Bridges as a franchise cornerstone
Wing stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown comprise one of the best duos in the league, and they are the primary reason that the Boston Celtics have been in contention over the last few seasons.
It seems as though Tatum and Brown have inspired other wing duos to follow their lead. Recently, Cam Johnson revealed that he and Mikal Bridges used the two Celtics players as a template for what they could be.
“Mikal and I talked about how we didn’t have any qualms about our roles in Phoenix because we love to win and our team was winning, but we were like, ‘We really got more stuff.’ So we worked on it every day,” Johnson said. “We were like, ‘(Jayson) Tatum and (Jaylen) Brown, that’s an elite wing duo. We’re gonna keep working. We’re maybe like a low-usage version, a 3-and-D version (of them).’ We always would joke around about that.”
Cam Johnson says he and Mikal Bridges joked about growing into a "low-usage version" of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in Phoenix:
"We didn't have any qualms about our role in Phoenix because we love to win and our team was winning, but we’re like, 'We really got more stuff.'…… pic.twitter.com/BiD5GsMoUU
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) September 29, 2023
Since moving to the Brooklyn Nets, both Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson have enjoyed an increase in role and responsibility. Bridges is now widely considered to be the best player on the Nets, averaging 26.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game, and has flourished as the team’s primary scorer. Meanwhile, Johnson is a solid two-way wing, who averaged 16.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game for the squad.
Hopefully, we see Bridges and Johnson lead the Brooklyn Nets to the playoffs during this upcoming season. They still have a long way to go before achieving as much as Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown as a duo, but making the playoffs next season would be a good start.
The Brooklyn Nets View Mikal Bridges As A Franchise Cornerstone
Mikal Bridges was the primary piece the Brooklyn Nets got when moving Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns, and he has definitely been impressive thus far. In fact, it was previously revealed that the Nets intend to rebuild around Bridges.
“Mikal Bridges is a guy they’re going to build around… The kind of offers the Nets have gotten for him speaks to how valuable he is, a player, I think for Brooklyn, they keep in place for the next big star that’s available in a trade.”
It is easy to see why the Brooklyn Nets are high on Mikal Bridges. If he can maintain his performance after the trade, then it is clear that Bridges is an All-Star-level player. We will have to see him play this season, but it is clear that the Nets are already sold on what Bridges can do.
Mikal Bridges And Cam Johnson Could Become Quality Players On The Nets
On the Phoenix Suns, Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson were in limited roles, doing their part next to two stars in Chris Paul and Devin Booker. Now, they are the main faces of the Brooklyn Nets and will have to try and become stars themselves.
It is unclear as of right now what each player’s ceiling is as of right now. The sample size of games played for the duo after the trade deadline was relatively low, and we have seen a lot of players have insane stretches then get worse with time.
With that being said, the Brooklyn Nets have a solid coach in Jacque Vaughn, and the surrounding pieces that could help Bridges and Johnson be successful. They made the playoffs this season and could build on that success going forward.
Hopefully, we see the Brooklyn Nets be a competitive team next season. They definitely have a lot of solid players, and we’ll see how they end up doing over the course of a full season.
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