The Knicks are looking pretty smart right now for what seemed like a crazy gamble last summer. They shocked everyone by giving up multiple first-round draft picks for Mikal Bridges – a move many thought was way too much for a defensive specialist.
Turns out, they knew exactly what they were doing.
Bridges showed exactly why he’s worth every pick in Monday’s 119-110 win over the Hawks, completely shutting down star point guard Trae Young. He held Young to just 36% shooting and forced him into nine turnovers.
And that’s not even his most impressive defensive work this season.
When guarding the league’s top ball-handlers, Bridges has been absolutely dominant. He’s held Trae Young to 30% shooting across their three matchups. Other star guards haven’t fared much better – Jalen Suggs shot just 23.8%, while Tyrese Haliburton and Coby White managed only 30%.
He’s not just stopping guards either. Bridges has gone toe-to-toe with bigger stars like Jayson Tatum, Scottie Barnes, and Paul George.
“He’s such a tough cover,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said after Monday’s game. “There’s a million pick-and-rolls you have to defend. Sometimes you can defend them really well and he can still make [a shot]. He was really disciplined. He kept going.”
Bridges, who also dropped 26 points in the win, knows exactly what his role is.
“That’s what I’m here for,” he said about defending the opposition’s best players. “That’s what I get paid for. And like I always said, I got my teammates behind me so it’s never just me against that guy.”
The Knicks have built something special here. With Bridges and OG Anunoby, they’ve got two of the NBA’s best defensive wings. That could be huge come playoff time, especially if they face the Celtics and their superstar duo of Tatum and Brown.
The win pushed the Knicks to 28-16, cementing their spot as the East’s third seed. Those draft picks they gave up? Looking like a bargain now.
