Mikal Bridges spoke about his time with the Brooklyn Nets recently. While appearing at Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart’s live event, he told Knicks fans that they should appreciate the Nets for helping Bridges develop as a player, and grow into a bigger role.
“Y’all should appreciate Brooklyn because it made me better. F**k, my game grew there.”
Mikal Bridges joined the Nets in 2023, going to the franchise as part of the Kevin Durant trade. After joining them, he went on a run of games playing really well, becoming the Nets’ first option. But the Nets would end up getting swept by the 76ers in the first round.
The following season, Bridges continued to play as the Nets’ first option. But the franchise underperformed significantly and missed the play-in. While Bridges got better on the Nets, he did unfortunately prove that he is not built to be a first option on a successful NBA franchise.
His move to the Knicks is perfect for them, as he can be the third option on the squad behind Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle. An excellent defender and a decent scorer, Bridges adds a lot of value to the Knicks and makes them a contender in the Eastern Conference next season.
While his urging Knicks fans to respect their hated rivals will not go down well, fans will be quick to forget about that if Bridges can help the Knicks get off to a hot start next season. Bridges is an elite two-way wing, an archetype of player that is very rare and sought-after in the NBA and could make them a threat to the Celtics.
Can The Knicks Reach The NBA Finals?
After the Mikal Bridges trade, many fans began speculating that the Knicks could emerge from the East and reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. The Knicks now have a roster that can viably compete with the Celtics and the 76ers and could topple them en route to the NBA Finals.
Their only glaring weakness is at the center position. Mitchell Robinson is good, but he struggles greatly with match fitness.
On top of that, the Knicks lost Isaiah Hartenstein, who played a massive role for them during the NBA playoffs this year. With the Celtics and 76ers having elite centers, they could be punished in the interior if Robinson is not able to stay healthy during the playoffs.
The Knicks need to take the next step this season. After two consecutive years of second-round exits, the Knicks need to at least reach the Eastern Conference Finals for this season to be considered a success by any metric. Tom Thibodeau must be able to get the best out of this roster come playoff time.
For the Knicks, the dream would be to win the NBA championship. While that may be a little bit difficult because of their lack of depth at the center position, a deep playoff run at the very least should be expected.
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