When the New York Knicks traded for Mikal Bridges, they wagered a majority of their future assets on his ability to be a complementary star next to Jalen Brunson and company.
What they didn’t account for was the seventh-year forward altering his jump shot. Bridges added a hitch to his three-point jumper, and in his first game with the Knicks, shot 2-for-7 from behind-the-arc in a blowout loss.
Fans had seen enough, ready to write off the 38% career three-point shooter. Then the Knicks turned it around in their home opener, routing the Indiana Pacers 123-108 in a game they led by as many as 30.
Bridges finished with 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the floor, and 2-of-3 shooting from three. As he told reporters postgame, he never lost confidence in his ability to shoot the ball.
“I’m always confident,” Bridges said on October 25, according to SNY’s Ian Begley. “That’s for other people to worry about.”
