Nov 2, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Mikal Bridges (25) looks to shoot the ball against Brooklyn Nets guard Keon Ellis (1) during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Mikal Bridges’ contributions to the Knicks’ championship run over the summer have not earned him a ton of leeway, as the veteran wing has been relegated to the bench aplenty during the opening portions of the 2026-27 season.
Bridges was limited to just 16 minutes in Monday night’s 103-90 win over the Brooklyn Nets at Madison Square Garden after shooting 1-of-7 from the field for six points. It was the third time in seven games that head coach Mike Brown yanked Bridges during the third quarter.
“He’s just got to keep playing,” Brown said. “Everybody goes through those upsa nd downs throughout the course of the season, and obviously, it’s the beginning of the season right now. So he’s got to find his way, not just with him but with everybody. When you’re in a funk, you gotta find one or two things to hold your hat on. Mikal is one of the best runners in the NBA in both directions, offensively and defensively.
“So he’s just got to try to hang his hat on that, as well as his cutting and trying to do the other little things: rebounding and driving and touching the paint and spraying it. Then his shot will come eventually.”
Bridges’ production has been alarmingly poor so far. He’s shooting 30.8% from the field and 26.9% from three-point range. He’s averaging 6.1 points and is putting up a measley 3.7 shot attempts per game — a clear indicator that he is the odd man out in an offensive scheme that is increasingly dependent on Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.
“It’s a matter of time, in my opinion, before Mikal gets going,” Brown said.
But if he doesn’t, expect this trend of benchings to continue.
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