NEW YORK — The Brooklyn Nets have not had the most inspiring season as they are seemingly far from what they looked like when they actually had a winning record. One thing that the Nets have discovered this season is that they have a promising duo on their hands in Mikal Bridges and Cam Thomas.
“Well, I coached Mikal (Bridges) this past summer, I know his game pretty well,” Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said of Bridges prior to Monday’s 109-98 win over the Nets. Kerr was able to coach Bridges, along with Nets teammate Cam Johnson, during the 2023 FIBA World Cup this past summer. Kerr had nothing, but good things to say about the former Villanova star.
“He’s a fantastic defensive player and he’s really blossomed into an excellent offensive player,” Kerr said. While Bridges has shown over the course of the past year that he’s much more than a player who can play defense and shoot three-pointers, Kerr also noticed how easy Thomas makes it for Bridges in terms of scoring and how they work well together.
“And, Cam, I think he had 40 on us last time in San Francisco, He’s a really dynamic scorer,” Kerr said of Thomas. In the first matchup between the Nets and Warriors this season on Dec. 16, Thomas put up 41 points on 15-of-24 shooting as Golden State was able to see his scoring prowess almost steal the game for Brooklyn on the road.
“He’s got a strong body, it’s hard to knock him off his base,” Kerr said. Kerr also recognized that the Nets present a unique matchup for opponents because of how their roster is constructed. “And, this team, when you prepare for them, that’s what jumps out. It’s just the number of wings and big guards they have, all of whom can shoot threes and switch. And, so, those two guys in particular, are excellent players,” Kerr said of Bridges and Thomas.
Bridges and Thomas struggled mightily on Monday as they combined for 31 points on 9-of-36 (25%) shooting from the field and 1-of-13 (8%) from three-point land. Despite that, Kerr made it clear that Brooklyn has a promising duo on that team moving forward.
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