Brooklyn Nets wing Mikal Bridges had an unusual 2022-2023 season that would have been very stressful for most players. In a season where he played more games than any other team in the NBA this season (83), Bridges played 56 games with the Phoenix Suns before being traded to Brooklyn in the deal that brought Kevin Durant to the Suns.
Not only was Bridges traded at the deadline, but he was traded to a Nets organization that still wanted to make something of the season after failing to achieve anything meaningful in the postseason in previous years with Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden. Bridges went from being the third option at best in Phoenix to being the concrete first option for Brooklyn.
Despite being placed in a difficult situation and having to adapt on the fly, Bridges handled the challenge with flying colors. He went from averaging 17.2 points per game with the Suns to 26.1 points per game on higher usage and even shot better from the field as well. Bridges showed that he can be more than what he was in Phoenix, but he also saw that doing things on the fly the way Brooklyn did isn’t a recipe for success:
“I mean, yeah, it was tough. But, it’s part of it, you know? Everybody got a situation that has gone on. Far different teams, but, just persevere. So, it was tough. Just trying to figure it out. But um, like I said, I think we just handled it pretty well and nobody really complained. And, you know, every time somebody had a question or tried to figure out something, it was always for the greater good. Just trying to find out what’s right for the team.”
[mm-video type=playlist id=01fv0185pfxtewh01r player_id=01f5k5xtr64thj7fw2 image=]
[lawrence-related id=53256,53247,53253]