Mikal Bridges' Marvelous Playoff Moment

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Five first round picks. That has been the criticism that has followed Mikal Bridges in his first season with the Knicks. Players like Paul George, Donovan Mitchell, and James Harden were traded for similar draft compensation in recent years, which has often colored the way that we view Bridges as a Knick.

His numbers in the regular season (17.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 35% from three on 5.6 attempts per game) have been pedestrian—leading many fans to question whether it was even worth acquiring him from Brooklyn to begin with. There have been criticisms about his lack of assertiveness, lapses in defensive intensity, and overall, a sentiment of buyer’s remorse.

That perception has flipped completely during the second round of the playoffs against the Boston Celtics, prompting many fans to take to social media to exclaim “f*** those picks.” In consecutive road wins in Boston, it was Bridges who sealed victories with defensive stops. In this moment, he is proving his value to fans and creating instant classic playoff moments in the process.

The Trouble with Expectations

Whenever there is a trade that features a combination of picks, swaps, and/or players, history has told us that it is for an All-Star player. For James Harden, it was four picks and four swaps; for Kevin Durant, it was four picks and two rotation players (Mikal Bridges being one of them); and for Anthony Davis, it was three players and three picks. This is the precedent that has been set over the years in the NBA.

When it came to acquiring Mikal Bridges, the Knicks were always going to pay a premium because of the team they were trading with—the Brooklyn Nets. Had the Nets been in talks to send Bridges to any other team, it is likely that the draft pick demands would not have been as high. The Knicks had to pay a tax because they were taking the team’s best player in a market they shared.

Based on that context, the analysis of the cost to bring Bridges into the fold was already flawed since the asking price was inflated. So, to expect him to have superstar level production based on the cost of acquisition was doomed for disappointment. And yet despite all that context that many of us had, it is still fair to say that his regular season output was frustrating.

There were multiple games throughout the season that saw Bridges often disappearing into the corner on offense and being overpowered on defense. And yet there were a few moments where it seemed that he was well worth the asking price—the game winner against Portland in March comes to mind.

When the playoffs arrived, there was some concern about Bridges—perhaps more than any other Knick. Could he deliver? Could he make an impact to lead this team into winning playoff games and truly contending for a spot in the Conference Finals? In the first round series in Detroit, there were flashes. In Game 3, he scored 20 points while racking up three steals and two blocks on the defensive end. In Game 6, he was an efficient 11/16 from the field and finished with 25 points. But the true impactful moments for Bridges have come in Boston.

Plays When It Matters the Most

The acquisitions of Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, and Mikal Bridges were made with the intention of beating the Celtics. Towns was a counterpunch to Porzingis as a stretch big while Anunoby and Bridges were the defensive answers to Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. While Anunoby has proved his worth throughout the regular season and in the Detroit series, the payoff for Bridges was still uncertain.

And for the first three quarters of each of the games in Boston, it seemed that the underwhelming impact of Bridges may continue. But when the games have mattered the most, he has made his presence felt. In the overtime period of Game 1, Bridges did the things he was brought in to do. He made a three to put the Knicks up 6 with 2:30 left, saved a loose ball on defense, and capped it all off by stripping the ball from Jaylen Brown’s grasp to seal the win in the final seconds.

That steal in the waning moments in a vacuum was everything that we had wanted to see from Bridges in one play. He refused to be denied and made the decision that the ball was his at that moment. The fact that it was against Jaylen Brown made it even sweeter, denying one of the players he was brought in to solve.

In Game 2, the fourth quarter saw the combination of Bridges, Deuce McBride, and Josh Hart spark a Knicks come back that led to another win. In a 90 second span, Bridges went on a personal 7-0 run while also executing on defense, forcing the Celtics into rushed shots.

Yet again, it came down to the final play of the game where Boston had a chance to win it. This time, it was Jayson Tatum who had the ball taken away from him by Bridges. In a 48-hour span, Mikal Bridges executed two defensive plays that will live on in the collective Knick fan memory for years. In both instances he threw the ball down the court, incredibly symbolic of the ups and downs he’s had as a Knick and relishing the highest of high moments.

These are the moments that make it worth sacrificing multiple first round picks for. Winning plays in the playoffs against the defending champions are why so many fans couldn’t care less about the pick compensation. His lack of perfection as a Knick this year in a strange way makes Mikal Bridges even more endearing to Knick fans.

Our teams have never been glamorous, because at times, the city itself can lack glamour. There is an appreciation for simply wanting it more and going out there and taking what is yours. Mikal Bridges, when it mattered the most, simply wanted it more than Brown and Tatum. That is why he’s a Knick. A Knick that is being redeemed in the playoff series that has mattered the most to this franchise. “F*** those picks,” indeed.