The New York Knicks spent a ton of money on Mikal Bridges this offseason, hoping he would be the 3-and-D addition that would make them a championship contender. A completed game, this “3” feels like a work in progress.
Bridges had a debut to forget against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, as did the rest of the Knicks in a 132-109 defeat against the defending champions. After one of the most turbulent offseasons in recent NBA history, New York was overwhelmed at the 3-point line to a historic degree.
After halftime, Bridges’ 3-pointer looked like the biggest disaster. He was 0 of 5 from the field and 0 of 4 from 3-point range, and none of those shots seemed close. The panic sirens were loud, but he managed to provide some positives by hitting 7 of 8 from the field and 2 of 3 from deep with the game almost decided throughout the second half.
Bridges finished the night 7 of 13 from the field (2 of 7 from deep) for 16 points, plus two assists, one turnover and no rebounds. The Knicks were outscored by 33 points when he was on the floor.
It could have been a lot worse, but Bridges got better. The only question is whether this means his jump shot is fixed, or whether the Knicks have a lot more to worry about for the guy they acquired for a superstar price.
Mikal Bridges struggled on jump shots before Knicks’ opener
Bridges’ struggles early in his Knicks debut weren’t a surprise to people who followed his training camp and preseason. His jump shot went slightly viral on the Knicks’ first day of camp, when a video surfaced showing a tortured shot in which he pulled the ball up and behind his head before it was released.
The fact is, Bridges has always had an unconventional jump shot. I just watch his highlight of last year shows a shape with a hitch and a high release point. It was this hitch that led Bridges to attempt to rework his jump shot, via New York Post:
“Ever since I got into the league, I’ve been trying to get back to my college days,” Bridges said. “So it’s been seven years, just every day.
“When I got out of college, I changed it up a little bit. And then my second year in the league, I had a problem and I’ve been trying to rebuild from that ever since. I’m just trying to do things well. Quite a lot.”
Unfortunately, Bridges may have just been meddling with something that worked. Bridges has quietly been one of the best shooters in the NBA since developing this, shooting 38.2% from deep over that span and never worse than 36% in a season. He made exactly as many 3-pointers as Damian Lillard last season, on fewer attempts.
The first results after the modification were…unfortunate. Bridges went 2-for-19 on 3-pointers in four preseason games, capped by an 0-for-10 performance against the Wizards.
And then, a goose egg in the first half Tuesday night. It would be wildly excessive to call him a fiasco now, but you can’t blame Knicks fans for still feeling worried about his place on a team that was beaten to death to open the season.
