Mikal Bridges has been an iron man in terms of availability for the Knicks, but has struggled at times with his offensive consistency. This was exemplified in Sunday’s loss to the Lakers, a game where Bridges went scoreless for the first time this season and the third time since joining the team last year, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Post.
Bridges says that while the offensive stats stood out, the reason behind them was on the defensive side.
“Being in foul trouble takes me away from being out there to try to help my team win,” Bridges said. “I’ve got to be better, starting off the game fouling a shooter from three.”
Bridges had hoped Monday’s game against the Clippers could serve as a bounce-back opportunity, but the team lost again, and Bridges once again struggled to impact the game offensively, putting up seven points on eight shots. The lone starter not to score in double digits, he didn’t make a shot until midway through the second quarter.
However, head coach Mike Brown had his starter’s back after the game, according to Bondy.
“He’s human and he’s going to have some nights (when he struggles to shoot),” Brown said. “His track record shows that he can go get it done. It’s not anything I’m concerned about or I’m looking at. And like I said, when he does have nights like that, how else can you impact the game, and he’s shown that he can do that.”
We have more from the Knicks:
- With his team struggling to put together any offensive rhythm against the Lakers, Brown turned to Jordan Clarkson in the fourth quarter. Clarkson played 10 minutes, the most since February 11, and scored nine points on four shots. “He’s a guy we can lean on. He can put the ball in the hole,” said Brown, as relayed by Bondy. “We were struggling to do that. So I threw him out there to see if we can mix it up. He definitely helped us. But it was too big of a deficit.” Clarkson will face off against the Jazz, with whom he played for five and a half seasons, on Wednesday, but is unsure what reaction he will receive, or what he will feel himself, Mark Medina writes in an interview for Essentially Sports. “I don’t know what my emotions are going to be,” Clarkson said. “I’m going to try to keep my cool.” While Clarkson’s role has changed with the Knicks, he has stayed ready and his teammates have appreciated his attention to detail and professionalism. “Being a teammate of his has been great,” Jalen Brunson said. “Being able to talk to him all the time and consistently has been great for me. I love him and everything that he’s done.“
- Mohamed Diawara grew up hearing all about the Clippers’ Nicolas Batum, another lanky French forward who could shoot and pass well for his size, Bondy writes in a separate piece. On Monday, the Knicks’ rookie got the first poster dunk of his career, and it just so happened to be on his fellow Frenchman. “I was just driving and dunked the ball and fortunately (Batum) was there,” Diawara said. “… Funny to see that. My first dunk — my first poster — was against him.” Diawara ended the game with five points, four rebounds, and two assists.
- Brown was frustrated by what he calls “self-inflicted wounds,” especially on the offensive end, as the Knicks lost their two games in Los Angeles, Kristian Winfield writes for the New York Daily News. New York turned the ball over 19 times against the Lakers and 20 against the Clippers, showing an offense that felt largely out of sorts. “[Nineteen] turnovers on the road, and this is not a knock on [the Lakers], but they’re not gonna trap and double team and all that stuff,” Brown said after the first loss. “But we get into the paint and jump in the air and turn the ball over.” Brunson noticed similar issues on Monday, Bondy notes. “We were getting downhill and trying to make plays. But we got to be better playing off two feet obviously, playing more controlled,” Brunson said. “But (the Clippers) got a lot of guys on their team who are steal guys, who are long wingspans, play passing lanes. That’s what they do. We played to their strengths.”
Knicks traded for Bridges to be a scorer. Another young star, a team player. Seems he has always just tried to fit in. Instead of just going for his and be more aggressive. Real scorers can have bad days. But don’t stop shooting. Cause they always think the next one is going in. Bridges is too much of a team guy. We need him to be more selfish. And go get his shots. He avg over 26 a gm with Nets.
As a Knick he is avg 12 shots this yr. As a Net he avg over 17 a gm. He is fourth on team in FG. Brunson at 20, Towns at 14. For Knicks to have real success. Bridges has to be putting up 17 shots a game. Towns too. Where is this new Brown offense????