Mikal Bridges who was once the heart and soul of the Phoenix Suns’ defense and showed some potential on offense when needed, is proving with the Brooklyn Nets that he can do both consistently.
Advertisement
Mikal Bridges Already Proving Himself Better Than Kyrie Irving For the Nets, According to a StatMuse Reveal
Since getting traded to the Nets in a part of the deal that saw Kevin Durant go the other way, Bridges has proven more useful to his team than KD has been for the Suns and his former teammate Kyrie Irving, because of whom it all started, has been for the Mavs.
However, as unbelievable as it might sound, he is already doing better than Kyrie did in Brooklyn.
Mikal Bridges is statistically better than Kyrie Irving was with the Nets
In his eleven games for Brooklyn the 6ft 6’ forward has averaged 26.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game shooting over 52.6% from the field, 48% from the 3-point line, and 92% from the free-throw line.
Nets players with 25 PPG and 50/40/90% in a season:
— Kyrie Irving
— Mikal BridgesSmall sample size but Mikal is shooting 53/48/92% as a Net. pic.twitter.com/DRosAMW61w
— StatMuse (@statmuse) March 9, 2023
Don’t forget his defense.
However, that’s a very small sample size. As terrifically efficient as Irving was in his four years with the Nets on the other hand, when Bridges completes his 4, he will have twice the game under his belt.
And so, it will be difficult for him to maintain this efficiency throughout his stay in Brooklyn as the man had not missed any NBA games since his draft in 2018 until he finally did before his debut for the Nets.
Is there anything good for the Nets shortly?
As they are currently constructed, it would be tough for them to stick with the #6 spot in the East. They are 5-7 since KD and Kyrie’s move and 37-29 in total, which would make it difficult to tank all of a sudden for Victory Wembanyama or Scoot Henderson.
If Ben Simmons were to be his usual self, they could have targeted upsetting a team in the postseason. But since he is out indefinitely, there is no point in trying for the Playoffs this season.
But in the next few years, if they draft a couple of good players or trade for a second-tier star in exchange for Simmons, maybe, he, Bridges, and Spencer Dinwiddie could make some noise in the East.