When the brooklyn nets signed to Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant they thought they had the tools to achieve glory. They couldn’t be more wrong. Almost 4 years after that pharaonic feat, only the ashes remain, from which, ironically, someone from Phoenix is beginning to emerge, whose desire and mission is none other than to lead the franchise in this the new project. Your name, Mikal Bridgesand his personality, radically opposed to that of the stars who preceded him.
Bridges is the counterpoint to the two stars that not so long ago reigned in the south of Manhattan. Low profile, dedicated, stable and no one says a word louder than the other. And, most importantly, always available. And it’s that the Philadelphia-born forward hasn’t missed a game since high school. At Villanova he played everything, and at the Phoenix Suns. 535 consecutive meetings since 2015, the only asterisk was the duel on February 9, when he was unable to attend because he was traveling from Arizona to Brooklyn.
At the age of 26, Mikal bridges are a Rare avis within the current NBA, both for what he represents and what he does on the field. As a player he has evolved from a 3&D defensive specialist to a two-way weapon that surpasses the aforementioned category. Bridges has developed his ball skills over the past two years, becoming a graceful and light handler.
The Nets needed a reboot after their failed attempt to take paradise by storm. Back to the starting point which undoubtedly had to go through a 180 degree turn. So, The figure of Bridges offers them an unbeatable opportunity to set things right again.
“I have a lot of faith in this team” the player recently said. “I try to lead and do whatever is necessary to see what might be the best way to attack and defend. I know we only have a few months, but if we continue to improve, learn and grow together, I feel like we will be a scary team that opponents won’t want to play against. I try to come here and give off a winning mentality. It’s funny because everyone else thinks the same way.”
Since donning a Brooklyn Nets jersey, the forward has embraced his role as the recognizable face of the franchise, both on and off the court, without a moment’s hesitation. The best reflection of this is their number, particularly notable, with 26.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 0.8 blocks. All this with a very high shooting efficiency, producing 52.6% in the fields, 48.1% on triples and 92.2% on free throws.
The Brooklyn Bridges again pic.twitter.com/cRI8jNHAcP
—Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) March 8, 2023
Fans in the United Statesyou can watch the best games of the 2022-2023 NBA season at Sling TV. Register by clicking here.
A qualitative and quantitative leap about 17.2 goals and an already high 38.7% at outdoor courts in Phoenix. The impressive thing isn’t that Bridges has a bigger role with the Nets, which makes sense, but that he’s compressing his new functions in this way, reaching elite levels.
Excellent performance even to increase you responsibility as a gamemasteran aspect he had previously flirted with in Phoenix and that the Nets want to make their new sign:
| Phoenix Sans | brooklyn nets | |
|---|---|---|
| instant lock | 12.7% usage and 0.89 points per possession | 17.6% usage and 1.06 points per possession |
| Cleaned up | 4.9% and 0.90 dpi | 9.8% and 1.06 dpi |
| reception and filming | 21.5% and 1.18 dpi | 16.1% and 1.50 dpi |
| reception and division | 11.5& and 1.07 | 11.5% and 1.10 dpi |
Data via InStat
subscribe to NBA League Pass to see all games: United States | The rest of the world
The logical thing to do is to think that these numbers will fall from the clouds over the weeks, but perhaps not as much as you might expect. Bridges lived throughout his time with the Suns in a fairly limited role, the price you have to pay for co-existing with figures like Devin Booker and Chris Paul.
The forward didn’t need to use those types of skills to make an impact, and it was only when one (or both) of the stars were missing that he brought out this amazing version of himself.
In a bigger scene, you need to move on, Mikal Bridges is ready to become a new player, or rather, make people see that he can be someone different from what he has been presented with so far.
The Nets’ championship chances may look slimmer on the outside than they did two months ago, but their future looks brighter through Bridges’ eyes. The 26-year-old forward has returned the illusion in the organization, the desire to build something of their own and with a ID card well noted.
Or at least one, the one that was missing in Brooklyn with Irving and Durant.
The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of the NBA or its organizations.
