Knicks Forward Could See Scoring Renaissance

New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges is hoping to be better on the offensive end of the floor in his second season with the team.

Bridges regressed from averaging 19.6 points per game during his final season with the Brooklyn Nets to 17.6 in his first year with the Knicks. Head coach Mike Brown has hired a pair of assistant coaches on his staff that have experience working with Bridges in the past in hopes of unlocking his offensive potential.

“So these guys have an idea of how he played and what his strengths were in Phoenix. And then you watch him a little bit in Brooklyn, too, or [watch him] play against you in Brooklyn. And you watch him last year in the playoffs and you just try to put guys at their strengths, and you hope guys will embrace those areas that are their strengths because they’re already the best in the world,” Brown said New York Daily News reporter Kristian Winfield.

“And now, if you can put them in positions in terms of making sure the floor is spaced the right way with everybody else, the pace is there, the ball is moving, screens are set, whatever we’re trying to introduce, now it shines.”

New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges arrives at the arena before the game against the New Orleans Pelicans. | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The hope is that the system Brown is implementing will be similar to what Bridges worked with in his past with the Phoenix Suns, which will put him in a position to carry more of the offensive load and take some of the pressure off of Jalen Brunson.

“We’re excited offensively, and then on the flip side defensively, he’s one of the best chasers that I’ve been around. So if you’ve got a guy that’s flying off of screens, he’s got a knack to navigate through screens and chase guys. And same with guys that play the pick-and-roll game. He’s long, so even if he gets cracked on a pick-and-roll a little bit, his will to want to pursue and especially contest from behind at that length is extremely, extremely impactful," Brown said.

“So I think those are the areas that you should see him shine in this year.”

If Bridges can make his mark on offense this season, the Knicks will be a more balanced team when it comes to scoring.

Brunson cannot be the only primary source for points, but if Bridges gets more involved, things should be on an upward swing for the Knicks.

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