- Mikal Bridges is one of the best defenders in the NBA and he was asked who are the hardest players for him to guard
- Bridges named Trae Young for his small size and quickness
- Bridges also stated that Stephen Curry and Luka Doncic are on another level
Before he exploded as an offensive force following his trade to the Brooklyn Nets during the 2022-23 campaign, Mikal Bridges was very much known as a defense-first player.
He was the runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year to Marcus Smart in 2022 and has often taken on the challenge of guarding the best player of the opposing team. During a recent appearance on Gaming Room, Bridges was asked to name the hardest player for him to guard and he went with a few big names.
“To really like staying in front a guy, especially for me, like Trae Young. Just how small he is and how quick he is,” Bridges said. “He’s one of the toughest guys, you know what I’m saying? Guys like Steph (Curry), Luka (Doncic) those guys as well bro. They’re just on another level, honestly.”
(starts at 1:08 mark):
You’d think those three names would be near the top of the list for most players. Luka Doncic finished second in the league last season at 32.4 PPG while Trae Young averaged 26.2 PPG and Stephen Curry was at 29.4 PPG. They are basically impossible to guard when they get going and Bridges has unfortunately had some first-hand experience in that regard over time.
Mikal certainly seems to hold Doncic in very high regard, as he once claimed he has a deeper bag than Kevin Durant.
The Brooklyn Nets Are Planning To Rebuild Around Mikal Bridges
The day might not be too far away when Bridges’ name pops up when talking about the hardest players to guard in the league. In 27 games with the Brooklyn Nets this past season, he averaged 26.1 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.7 SPG, and 0.6 BPG to show he is more than just a great defender.
The Nets have been so impressed with what they’ve seen from him that they intend to rebuild around him. There was a lot of talk about how the Nets didn’t even manage to get an All-Star when they traded Durant to the Phoenix Suns, but Bridges has put all that talk to rest.
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