The New York Knicks spent a huge amount of draft capital on Mikal Bridges this season, hoping he would be the 3-and-D addition that would make them a championship contender. One play in, that “3” looks 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 loss to the defending champions. After one of the most eventful offseasons in recent NBA history, New York was overwhelmed at the three-point line to a historic degree.
After one half, Bridges’ three-point shot looked like a bigger disaster. He went 0-for-5 from the field and 0-for-4 from 3-point range, and none of those shots looked close. The panic sirens sounded loud, but he managed to provide some silver linings by going 7-for-8 from the field and 2-for-3 from deep, all but deciding the game in the second half.
Bridges finished the night shooting 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 that means his jump shot has been restored, or whether the Knicks have to worry a lot more about the man they acquired for a superstar-level price tag.
Mikal Bridges had trouble with jump shots before the Knicks opener
Bridges struggling early in his Knicks debut was no surprise to those who followed his training camp and preseason. His jump shot went mildly viral on the first day of Knicks camp, when a video spread showing a tortured shot where he pulled the ball up and behind his head before being released.
The thing is, Bridges has always had an unconventional jump shot. Just looking at his highlight reel from last year shows a form with a hitch and a high release point. It’s that hitch that prompted Bridges to rework his jump shot, via the New York Post:
“Ever since I got into the league, I’ve been trying to take it back to when I was in college,” Bridges said. “So it’s been every day for seven years.
“When I got out of college I adjusted it a little bit. And then my second year in the league I hit the hiccup and have been trying to rebuild ever since. So I just tried to do it right . Nice.” a lot of it.”
Unfortunately, Bridges may have simply interfered with something that worked. Bridges has quietly been one of the better shooters in the NBA since that hitch developed, shooting 38.2% from deep over that span and never shooting worse than 36% in a season. He made exactly the same number of three-pointers as Damian Lillard last season, in fewer attempts.
The first results after the adjustment were… unfortunate. Bridges went 2-for-19 from 3-point range in four preseason games, capped by an 0-for-10 performance against the Wizards.
And then a goose egg in the first half. It would be a massive overreaction to call him a failure now, but you can’t blame Knicks fans for still feeling uneasy about his place on a team that got the daylight out of it to open the season.
