Mikal Bridges was a revelation for the Brooklyn Nets last year after being traded in the blockbuster deal that landed Kevin Durant with the Phoenix Suns. In Phoenix, Bridges’ role was completely different. He was a role player who was primarily tasked with guarding the opposition’s best perimeter player. With the Nets, Bridges has opened up his offensive game. He has quickly become the first option for a young Brooklyn squad trying to stay competitive after the short-lived Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving era. The Nets are still high on Bridges and his potential.
“I believe Brooklyn’s intent remains to build and add talent around Mikal Bridges,” wrote Adrian Wojnarowski on Wednesday.
The Nets struggling a bit this season and peers still wondering if Bridges can truly be the best player on a contender. The team still plans to build around the two-way wing.
Mikal Bridges to Remain Brooklyn’s Number One Option for the Future
His Impact
With a shift in Bridges’ role, his efficiency has gone down a bit this season. However, everyone still knows his value. Remember, last February, the Nets were offered four first-round draft picks for his services. This year, Bridges has taken on more responsibility on the offensive end of the floor. So far, he is tallying numbers of 20.9 points, 5.2 total rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 0.9 steals per game. He is also currently averaging an effective field goal percentage of 51.7 percent, a player efficiency rating of 16.3, and an offensive win-share total of 1.1. Defensively, Bridges has taken a bit of a step back this year. This could probably be attributed to him having to exert more effort offensively as a number one option.
He is still a former All-Defensive Team member and has had to match up with some of the NBA’s best this year. Bridges has had to guard the likes of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Zach LaVine, Damian Lillard, and Jimmy Butler to just name a few of the league’s best. Bridges has also held players such as Stephen Curry, Paolo Banchero, and Damian Lillard under 45.0 percent shooting when guarding them this season. Even with the dip in efficiency and defensive production, Mikal Bridges is still having a quality campaign even with the Brooklyn Nets struggling to find rhythm at this current junction of the regular season.
The Current State of the Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets are currently ranked ninth in the Eastern Conference with a win-loss record of 15-19. Last season, they finished as the sixth seed even after the blockbuster Kevin Durant trade. They were eventually knocked out in the first round by the Philadelphia 76ers. However, Bridges and company proved they were a team no team could overlook.
This season, they are ranked 25th in team field goal percentage (46.0 percent), and 16th in points per game (114.7). They also shoot 61.1 percent at the rim. Not to mention, they possess a team field goal percentage of 46.8 percent during clutch minutes. The Brooklyn Nets still have faith in Mikal Bridges. However, it certainly looks as if he needs some reinforcements as of right now.
