by When the Nets acquired Mikal Bridges along with Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder and multiple Suns first-round picks for Kevin Durantthere was excitement following Bridges’ impact as an elite player in Phoenix.
Across 15 games, the Nets must be thrilled with the star Bridges has already become. The former Villanova Wildcat is undergoing a metamorphosis and has become the number 1 option on the team in a short time.
Bridges is on the rise, averaging 26.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists. He’s shooting 50 percent from the field and an excellent 44.4 percent from three-point range.
At Phoenix, Bridges established himself as one of the top 3-ed forwards in the NBA. He was a great ball cutter who shot well from the three-point line.
On defense is where Bridges made his name. He was a force to be reckoned with. A runner-up for the 2021-22 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award, Bridges could defend at multiple positions and was often tasked with defending elite players in the playoffs such as lebron james It is Luka Doncic.
Bridges has already put together a sizzling highlight roller. There was last month’s win against the Miami Heat, where he missed a career-high 45 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Bridges scored 30 points on seven separate occasions. Prior to his arrival in Brooklyn, Bridges only had a 30-point performance in 365 games with the Suns.
Based on his performance with the Nets, there’s a good chance the 26-year-old will make an All-Star team. That didn’t seem possible just a month ago.
One aspect of Bridges’ game that stood out was how many free throws he made. Bridges has attempted 98 free throws in 15 games with the Nets. He took just 157 freebies in 82 games with Phoenix last year.
The free-throw attempts are also a surprise because Bridges hasn’t altered his shooting diet much. In fact, he’s taking slightly less shots at the rim while seeing a modest increase in mid-range shot attempts.
Building a bridge to the future
Bridges is not a perfect player. He can still improve on his game outside of the pick-and-roll and in isolation. The Nets’ offense is scoring 112.9 points per 100 possessions with Bridges off the ground, compared with 107.7 points per 100 possessions in the 519 minutes Bridges was on the ground, according to NBA Stats.
There’s also room to grow in your shot selection. Can he get closer to the rim? If he is getting fouls on shots, this can be very important to increase his efficiency. Also, can he turn some of those mid-range attempts into shots from behind the arc? That should be the next step the Nets are looking for for the Bridges next season.
The next test for Bridges as a top option will be the postseason. The defenses will lock onto the fifth-year player and it will be interesting to see if he can break through. At Phoenix, he didn’t get past the fourth pick in the team’s two playoff streaks.
With Brooklyn going into Sunday as the East’s sixth seed at 39-31, the team has a very good chance of still making the playoffs — and, worst-case scenario, having home field advantage in a potential play-in situation. While Bridges has NBA Finals experience, being a top pick in a playoff series is different and will be important to his development.
Bridges’ first 15 games with the club were impressive and he cemented himself as a key building block in Brooklyn’s rebuilding and potential All-Star. He may not be the number one option if the Nets manage to acquire a star and return to contender status, but Bridges has shown he could be the bridge to the team’s future.
