How Mikal Bridges MAKES THE KNICKS UNSTOPPABLE!

How Mikal Bridges MAKES THE KNICKS UNSTOPPABLE!

the Knicks made a big splash right before the start of free agency setting out five first round picks and Buon bogdanovich to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange from Mel Bridges this is an incredible pickup for a New York Knicks team that won 50 games and was just one win away from the Eastern Conference Finals despite several injuries to key players now many fans were quick to call this trade a big overpay and maybe it was the Nick did give up a lot of draft picks but the beauty of this trade is that the Knicks only gave up one rotation player from last year so the Knicks essentially just added Mel to last year’s roster assuming they resigned Aller players there should be immediate chemistry on the floor considering M Brunson Josh Hart and Dante D chenel all played at Villanova together and won the national championship and the Knicks also will have five first round picks over the next three years so they still have flexibility to make more moves Mel Bridges is an NBA Iron Man playing in all 82 games over the last 4 years this this is exactly what the doctor ordered for a Knicks team that had to deal with brutal injuries last season and at 27 years old he’s just entering his prime giving the Knicks a wide window to contend but now let’s break down macau’s game to see what he actually brings to New York with maau now on the team the Knicks have a much needed additional shot creator for most of his career maau has been a three and D guy but he established himself as a borderline star on the Brooklyn Nets after the trade to the Nets he quickly became the top go-to guy averaging 26 points per game and 27 games with the Nets in the 2022 to 23 season last year he did regress but he still had a very good season putting up just under 20 points per game his biggest strength as a scorer is from the mid-range where he has a deadly pullup he’s got a high release on the jump shot allowing him to raise over defenders easily he’s also got a solid handle and he can get to the basket where he converts in the paint at a high percentage but it’s worth mentioning that he’s not an explosive athlete that can get to the rim easily against any Defender so while he does Finish Well he doesn’t get to the rim all that much last year was Mel’s first season as a team’s top go-to option and as a result he regularly drew the other team’s best defender and had to deal with much tougher defensive game planning from other teams which is largely why his scoring regressed fortunately the New York Knicks will simplify macau’s role on offense on the Knicks maau is clearly the third option behind Jaylen Brunson and Julius Randle he’ll still have plenty of opportunities to create his own shots but he won’t be asked to carry the offense like he did in Brooklyn he should thrive in that role considering that he’s been a great offb player throughout his career especially when he was on the Phoenix Suns maau is a career 38% three-point shooter last year even with more defensive attention he still dra rains 37% of his threes on a high volume seven attempts per game both jayen Brunson and Julius Rand draw a lot of double teams so Mel should Feast on the open looks he gets from them if Defenders try to run Mel off the three-point line he could put the ball on the deck and get all the way to the basket he’s also an amazing cutter knowing to cut hard the second he catches his man ball watching to get himself an easy dunk or layup he’s also great scoring off move able to run off screens and catch handoff passes and score in the mid-range his off ball skills makes him an incredible compliment to what the Knicks already have and C possesses the ability to create his own shot he can run the offense on nights when Brunson and Randall go cold but it gets even better maau Bridges is also an excellent perimeter Defender with the size and length to guard multiple positions his defense has regressed a bit on the Nets with a higher offensive responsibility but back on the Suns he was an elite Defender making the all defensive team back in 2022 since he’ll be going back to an offensive role similar to the Suns I would expect his defense to pick back up again and what’s scary is the defensive potential the Knicks have with both Mel and OG in their starting lineup according to recent reports OG is planning to sign a 5-year $212 million contract to return to the Knicks the Knicks were a top 10 defensive team last year their biggest sh on defense was their ability to protect the paint Isaiah hardenstein and Mitchell Robinson made it really tough for driving players to finish at The Rim OG and anobi is a top five Defender at his position which brought the Knicks defense to an even higher level with Mel in the lineup the Knicks could potentially have two lock down perimeter Defenders along with that incredible interior defense I’m sure Leon rose and a knck front office had the defending Champion Boston Celtics in mind when making this trade in order to make the finals the Knicks will likely have to get by Boston and the Celtics are built around their Dynamic Duel of Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown now the Knicks have two big strong Wing Defenders to slow down the Celtic stars not only is this Knicks team much better but they’re specifically built to beat the Celtics assuming the Knicks bring back Isaiah hardenstein their starting lineup going into next season should be Brunson Mel ogi Randall and iHeart not only did this move give the Knicks a much better starting five but it also strengthened their bench Dante def venzo is now the team six-man and he should compete for the Sixth Man of the Year War next season last year was Dante’s breakout season he took on a much bigger offensive role after all the injuries and really stepped up averaging 20 points per game post Allstar break break now the Knicks will have a great spark plug off the bench in Dante Duce McBride also broke out for the Knicks last season not only did he remain a great defender but his game also expanded offensively in addition the Knicks will also have Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson coming off their bench this should easily be one of the best second units in the league next year overall the Knicks have put themselves in a much better position to win the champ chionship Mel isn’t the biggest name they could have acquired this off season but he’s the most complimentary star that was available if the Knicks had gotten a legit Superstar like Kevin Durant or Devin Booker they would have commanded a lot of shots which would have made them an iffy fit with both Randall and Brunson at the very least there would have been an adjustment period but maau is a seamless fit he won’t demand a bunch of shots and he’ll do all the little things on the court that may not show up on the box score but contribute to winning basketball what last year’s playoffs showed us is that going on deep runs isn’t just about having a team stacked with star talent but having players that have chemistry play well together and defend at a high level of course it’s incredibly important that the Knicks go into the playoffs healthy but if the Knicks can be healthy come playoff time they have a realistic shot at winning the championship and what’s also incredible about this deal is that they they’ve maintained their flexibility sades doesn’t work out they still have tradable contracts good young players and future draft picks for another big move so they have the best of both worlds having the ability to contend for titles now while still having assets for future moves but now I want to hear from you guys what are your thoughts on the Mel Bridges trade and do you think the Knicks are now the favorite for next year’s championship let me see your thoughts Down Below in the comments section guys I’m going to continue to talk about the Knicks along with other NBA teams all off season long so if that sounds like something that would interest you consider hitting that subscribe button thank you so much for watching and have an amazing rest of your day

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The New York Knicks made a big trade a week before free agency acquiring Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets. This gave the Knicks a big talent upgrade while maintaning flexibility for future moves. This video breaks down how Mikal makes the Knicks a much better team on both ends of the floor and puts them in position to win the championship.
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