The Knicks’ championship defense is already in rough shape, kicking off the season with two straight losses, and nobody is struggling more than Mikal Bridges. After a measly four points against the 76ers in the opener, Bridges got completely shut down against the Celtics, going scoreless with an ugly 0-for-8 from the field, including missing all five of his three-point attempts, in just 22 minutes.
Bridges’ Shot Has Gone Missing
Look, the numbers don’t lie. Four points on 2-of-8 shooting in 33 minutes in the first game. Then, zero points, 0-for-8 shooting, 0-for-5 from deep, in 22 minutes against Boston. That’s a brutal start for any player, especially one on a team with championship aspirations. Head coach Mike Brown isn’t sugarcoating it, either, even while trying to encourage his guy. “For the most part, most of his looks… I mean, he had three or four wide open threes. And we want them to make half of them if they’re open,” Brown said after the Celtics loss. He’s telling Bridges to keep firing, hoping they “eventually go in sooner than later.” Brown thinks Bridges is getting the looks he needs. He just has to hit them. Bridges’ offensive ups and downs aren’t new; his 14.4 points per game last season were his lowest since 2021-22 with the Suns. You can’t be this inconsistent, not when you’re supposed to be a key piece.
Defense Needs To Step Up, Too
While Brown might be able to ride out some of the offensive slumps, what he absolutely cannot afford to lose is Bridges’ defense. When the Knicks were chasing offense against Boston, Brown turned to Miles McBride, who went off for 20 points in 30 minutes off the bench. That move meant Josh Hart took on the unenviable task of guarding Jayson Tatum. And Tatum? He torched them for a game-high 36 points, hitting crucial shots late to seal the win when the Knicks were trying to snatch it. You have to wonder if Bridges guarding Tatum would have changed that outcome. Brown isn’t pinning it all on Bridges though, pointing to a broader issue: Boston was simply more physical. “He’s got to make sure that he’s physical on the defensive end,” Brown continued about Bridges. “And he, as well as everybody else because it was all of us, are laying on screens when we get hit, and that when we do switch, there’s a level of physicality to the switch so that they’re not able to take advantage of us.” It’s not just Bridges, the whole team needs to ramp up the intensity.
The Knicks get a chance to fix things and snag their first win of the season when they head home to host the Magic on Sunday. You better believe all eyes will be on Bridges, both his offensive production and his defensive physicality. They need him to find his game, and fast, if this championship defense is going to get back on track.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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