Brooklyn Nets guard Mikal Bridges comes into this season as the Nets’ primary option on the offensive end and could become an Eastern Conference All-Star because of it. However, part of Bridges’ All-Star bid could be because of what everyone sees from him on the defensive end as well.
In an recent article by NBA.com, John Schuhmann broke down the findings of the annual general manager survey that the website does before the start of every season. One of the questions that was asked is who is the best perimeter defender in the league and 13% of the GMs voted for Bridges.
While 13% seems like a low number, it was the second-highest percentage after 50% from the general managers voted for Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday. Nevertheless, Bridges receiving the second-most votes for best perimeter defender in the league just proves that the NBA as a whole is taking notice of what Bridges can do on both ends of the floor.
Last season, Bridges ranked 18th in defensive win shares (3.1) in a testament of how effective the former Villanova Wildcat was on the defensive end. Assuming that Bridges continues his ascension on both ends of the floor, he has a good chance of being an All-Star this upcoming season.
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