<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-mikal-bridges-cant-miss-fast-start-jazz');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mikal Bridges can’t miss in fast start vs. Jazz');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/IMG_0377.jpeg"><figcaption>Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Mikal Bridges can’t miss in fast start vs. Jazz</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-05T18:47:36-08:00">December 5th, 6:47pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-05T18:47:36-08:00">December 5th, 6:47pm</time><address><a>David Yapkowitz</a>David Yapkowitz is an NBA Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a credentialed reporter based in Los Angeles who covers the NBA/WNBA, NCAA/NCAAW and boys/girls high school basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New York Knicks are looking to start a win streak coming into their game against the Utah Jazz on Friday, and continue to move up in the Eastern Conference standings. The Knicks currently sit in the No. 2 seed in the East and two and half games behind the No. 1 Detroit Pistons. The Knicks were on their way to getting another win as Mikal Bridges <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1997111797959078106" rel="noopener">came out torching</a> the Jazz defense with a hot offensive start.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Mikal Bridges has 10 points on a perfect 5-of-5 FG to start the game 🔥 </p><p> <a href="https://t.co/HKHZL9DBQn">pic.twitter.com/HKHZL9DBQn</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1997111797959078106?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-mikal-bridges-biggest-benefactor-mike-brown-new-system">Mikal Bridges hot start</a> offensively for the Knicks saw him go 5-of-5 from the field with 10 early points as the team got out to a huge double-digit lead in the first quarter. As of publication, the Knicks were up close to 30 points in the fourth quarter while Bridges had actually not scored since the his strong start. He had 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field to go along with five rebounds, three assists and one steal.</p><p>But while Bridges had not scored through the other three quarters, it was his start that set the early tone for the Knicks, and essentially had the game over before it began.</p><p>Bridges is in his second season with the Knicks, and has appeared in 21 games so far at just about 35 minutes per game. He’s been averaging 17.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.2 blocked shots with splits of 53.7 percent shooting from the field, 43.3 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 80.6 percent shooting from the free-throw line.</p><p>Last season, Bridges suited up in all 82 games for the Knicks, the second straight season he appeared in every game. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-new-york-bouncing-back-disappointing-start">Knicks have been a top team after a slow start</a> to the season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mikal Bridges can’t miss in fast start vs. Jazz

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-news-joe-mazzulla-like-mikal-bridges-chirping-boston-bench');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Joe Mazzulla actually liked Mikal Bridges chirping at Celtics’ bench');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Why-Joe-Mazzulla-actually-liked-Mikal-Bridges-chirping-at-Bostons-bench.jpg"><figcaption>David Dermer-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Why Joe Mazzulla actually liked Mikal Bridges chirping at Celtics’ bench</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-02T21:50:44-08:00">December 2nd, 9:50pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-02T21:59:26-08:00">December 2nd, 9:59pm</time><address><a>Paolo Mariano</a>Paolo Mariano is a freelance writer, editor, and producer based in Manila, Philippines. He is a journalism graduate from the University of Santo Tomas and the father of a young girl whose personality swings from Simone Biles to Dillon Brooks. A beacon of objectivity, he believes Penny Hardaway is the true NBA GOAT.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Celtics</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Boston Celtics outlasted the New York Knicks, 123-117, at TD Garden on Tuesday, with Jaylen Brown exploding for a season-high 42 points.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-news-watch-jaylen-brown-take-flight-for-monster-dunk-over-jordan-clarkson">Brown battled against the Knicks’ tough defenders</a>, including Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart, but he still came out on top, shooting 16-of-24 from the field. He also had four rebounds and four assists.</p><p>The tension was high during the game, which was a rematch of last season’s conference semifinals. Bridges, who had a team-high 35 points, taunted the Celtics’ bench several times. Boston coach Joe Mazzulla, however, said he <a href="https://x.com/sny_knicks/status/1996069740544999679?s=20">simply brushed off</a> Bridges’ chirping.</p><p>“I don’t mind that stuff. I like it. It’s part of the game. (It) keeps me going, and I thought the guys handled it well,” said Mazzulla in a video posted by SNY.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Joe Mazzulla was asked about Mikal Bridges exchanging words with the Celtics' bench:</p><p>"I don't mind that stuff. I like it. It's part of the game. Keeps me going and I thought the guys handled it well." <a href="https://t.co/58dnDSTneu">pic.twitter.com/58dnDSTneu</a></p><p>— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) <a href="https://twitter.com/sny_knicks/status/1996069740544999679?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Bridges was on fire against the Celtics, shooting 12-of-17 from the field, including 8-of-12 from beyond the arc. He added six rebounds, three assists, and two steals.</p><p>The 37-year-old Mazzulla likes to play mind games himself, so he knows Bridges was only trying to psyche them out. The strategy, however, backfired on the 29-year-old wingman.</p><p>But in the end, as Mazzulla said, it’s just the competitive nature coming to the surface. Bridges even acknowledged Mazzulla’s work with the Celtics during <a href="https://twitter.com/CelticsCLNS/status/1995924853208350807" rel="noopener">his postgame interview</a>.</p><p>“I think he’s a hell of a coach. They got guys that are gonna play hard and smart. They have a lot of talent. I know they got guys banged up or not here, but they got next man up,” said Bridges in the video posted by CLNS.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Mikal Bridges looks back at beating the Celtics &amp; how they're different now: "They still got coach Mazzulla and I think he's a hell of a coach. They got guys that are gonna play hard, smart, a lot of talent. I know they got guys banged up or not here, but they got next man up." <a href="https://t.co/JxB7kxtbtQ">pic.twitter.com/JxB7kxtbtQ</a></p><p>— Celtics on CLNS (@CelticsCLNS) <a href="https://twitter.com/CelticsCLNS/status/1995924853208350807?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The Celtics improved to 12-9, while the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/2025-26-nba-power-rankings-week-6-knicks-emerging-east-favorite">Knicks dropped to 13-7</a>.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Joe Mazzulla actually liked Mikal Bridges chirping at Celtics’ bench

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-mikal-bridges-biggest-benefactor-mike-brown-new-system');   ga('set', 'title', 'Knicks’ Mikal Bridges expected to be biggest benefactor of Mike Brown’s new system');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Mikal-Bridges.jpg"><figcaption>Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Knicks’ Mikal Bridges expected to be biggest benefactor of Mike Brown’s new system</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-07T11:45:06-07:00">October 7th, 11:45am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-07T11:45:06-07:00">October 7th, 11:45am</time><address><a>Preston Byers</a>Preston Byers is an experienced writer and journalist who currently serves as an associate editor for ClutchPoints and as a staff writer at The Vindicator and Tribune Chronicle, where he covers sports in the Mahoning Valley. Previously, Preston worked as an associate editor for Dot Esports and a site expert for FanSided's Union and Blue.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With new head coach Mike Brown, Mikal Bridges may prove to benefit the most of anybody on the New York Knicks.</p><p>While <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/why-mikal-bridges-excited-finally-got-rookies-with-knicks">Bridges benefited greatly</a> this offseason when he <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-mikal-bridges-150-million-contract-extension">signed a four-year, $150 million contract extension</a>, his role within his team’s offense could expand under the leadership of Brown, who succeeded Tom Thibodeau following the Knicks’ trip to the Eastern Conference Finals.</p><p>“They are determined to play more up-tempo as a team this year,” ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst <a href="https://youtu.be/sIbYWdoUvNU?list=PLu1neCd4swuakibtwr6887z4D8YH3YUnK&amp;t=1295" rel="noopener">said on the</a> ‘Hoop Collective’ podcast. “I would say my biggest takeaway from the Knicks is that Mikal Bridges is going to benefit, at least if they stick to this up-tempo offense, because Bridges is dedicating himself to get out ahead of the play.</p><p>“And in two halves, basically, he played, he probably had four or five run-outs where he got thrown ahead, where he either got an easy basket or got a foul. And you could understand, Bridges, his role is to work really hard on the defensive end and then space the floor offensively.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><p>When Bridges was a part of the Phoenix Suns for the first five seasons of his career, he mostly served as a tertiary offensive option while sometimes rising to be the secondary option behind Devin Booker. But when he was <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/brooklyn-nets/nets-finalize-trade-haul-mikal-bridges-knicks-blockbuster-deal">traded to the Brooklyn Nets</a> in exchange for Kevin Durant, he proved he was more than capable of bearing the offensive load.</p><p>In the 27 games following the trade to finish the 2022-23 season, Bridges averaged 26 points per game while shooting 48% from the field, 38% on 3-pointers, and 89% at the free-throw line. His numbers dropped the following season, his only full year in Brooklyn, although he still scored 20 points per game and shot 37% from the 3-point line.</p><p>With the Knicks, Bridges again saw his numbers drop, albeit not by much, as he became the third option behind Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, which limited the number and quality of touches he had.</p><p>If Bridges can become a greater or more efficient <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/year-2-karl-anthony-towns-mikal-bridges-push-knicks-next-level">part of the Knicks’ offense</a>, it could go a long way as New York tries to take advantage of major injuries to Eastern Conference contenders such as the Indiana Pacers and Boston Celtics.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Knicks’ Mikal Bridges expected to be biggest benefactor of Mike Brown’s new system

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-york-knicks/why-mikal-bridges-excited-finally-got-rookies-with-knicks');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Mikal Bridges is excited he ‘finally got some rookies’ with the Knicks');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Why-Mikal-Bridges-is-excited-he-finally-got-some-rookies-with-the-Knicks.jpg"></figure><h1>Why Mikal Bridges is excited he ‘finally got some rookies’ with the Knicks</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-24T17:33:30-07:00">September 24th, 5:33pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-25T08:31:27-07:00">September 25th, 8:31am</time><address><a>Kris Pursiainen</a>Kris Pursiainen is an Associate Editor for all sports based in the NJ/NYC area. Kris brings several years of experience reporting on and writing about professional teams to the table. With experience all over the country as a New York Knicks, New York Jets, New York Mets, Super Bowl LVIII, and Big East beat reporter, Kris has been breaking news and reporting on the NBA, NFL, MLB, and college basketball landscapes for years. Kris is a proud graduate of Fordham University.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Mikal Bridges is heading into his eighth year in the NBA. He just <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-how-150-million-mikal-bridges-extension-ensures-title-window-remains-open">signed an extension with the New York Knicks</a> through 2029 with a player option for 2030.</p><p>The 29-year-old wing provides value in various ways, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-mikal-bridges-plays-six-seconds-nets-keep-iron-man-streak-alive">from his ‘iron man’ streak</a> to his length, shooting ability, and defensive versatility. Bridges earned a reputation as a multifaceted contributor during his time with the Phoenix Suns and Brooklyn Nets. But he says he has gotten an opportunity with the Knicks that he hasn’t truly experienced before.</p><p>“I think just throughout my years in Phoenix, really didn’t have rookies that much. So even as years moved on, I was still kind of, like, the youngest,” Bridges said at media day on Tuesday.</p><p>The Villanova product joined the Suns as part of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-deandre-ayton-reveals-welcome-text-luka-doncic">same draft class as DeAndre Ayton</a> in 2018. The Suns did add six rookies in the next two drafts. But one, Cam Johnson, was older than Bridges. The other three were no more than one year younger. The Knicks drafted four rookies last offseason and added an intriguing prospect in this year’s second round.</p><p>Bridges explained that he appreciates the members of the Nets’ young core he got to know. It was the brevity of his stint in Brooklyn that kept him from developing those relationships further.</p><p>“Then I get to Brooklyn and finally got some rookies. And then, you know, situation there wasn’t the best, and I ended up getting traded and stuff,” Bridges shared. “So it was tough for me to kind of feel it as much as I wanted to, even though I still have a really good relationship with them over there.”</p><h2>How the Knicks’ young core made Mikal Bridges a first-time mentor</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/why-mikal-bridges-excited-finally-got-rookies-knicks.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>When asked by ClutchPoints about his relationship with the Knicks’ young players, Bridges said they keep him entertained.</p><p>“Yeah, man, the young dudes, Kev and them, they’re hilarious,” Bridges told reporters while stifling a laugh. “It kind of makes me think what I was coming out of college. But, nah, they dope man…being here now, and [having] last year and signing an extension here, just being more around them, building way more relationships with them, it’s hilarious man.”</p><p>The toolsy wing made headlines last season when he <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/03/12/sports/why-mikal-bridges-asked-tom-thibodeau-to-play-knicks-starters-less/" rel="noopener">revealed that he asked</a> former coach Tom Thibodeau to play the starters ‘fewer minutes.’ He finished the season averaging 37 minutes per game, fourth-most in the NBA.</p><p>Heading into 2026, the Knicks have more depth <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/josh-hart-nagging-finger-injury-throw-wrench-knicks-season">and a coach known for using it.</a> And on top of enjoying his friendship with younger members of the Knicks like Kevin McCullar Jr. and Ariel Hukporti, Bridges believes in them on the court, too.</p><p>“Great dudes, great kids, and the biggest thing about them is they work hard. So just seeing how much they’ve gotten better over the years- over the year,” Bridges said to correct himself, “is real cool. But yeah, they’re all funny. Funny as hell.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Mikal Bridges is excited he ‘finally got some rookies’ with the Knicks

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-york-knicks/year-2-karl-anthony-towns-mikal-bridges-push-knicks-next-level');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Year 2 of Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges will push Knicks to next level');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Why-Year-2-of-Karl-Anthony-Towns-Mikal-Bridges-will-push-Knicks-to-next-level.jpg"></figure><h1>Why Year 2 of Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges will push Knicks to next level</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-16T08:00:55-07:00">September 16th, 8:00am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-16T08:00:55-07:00">September 16th, 8:00am</time><address><a>Drew Maresca</a>Drew Maresca is a NY-area writer and researcher who has covered the NBA for more than 5 years. Prior to joining ClutchPoints to cover the New York Knicks, Drew wrote for Basketball News and Basketball Insiders. Drew has conducted interviews inside NBA locker rooms including Madison Square Garden, the Barclays Center, and the Kia Center, and he covered the 2019 NBA Draft in-person from Brooklyn.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New York Knicks <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/new-york-knicks-2025-26-season-predictions">enter the 2025-26 season with high expectations</a>, and rightfully so. They are coming off back-to-back 50-win seasons. They have an arguably top-10 player in Jalen Brunson. And they just <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/mike-brown-knicks-tom-thibodeau-nba-title">swapped a coach who many felt was holding them back with one known for more creativity</a>.</p><p>But chief among the reasons for optimism is that Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges are entering their second season with the team, meaning they will be more comfortable and familiar with their teammates and what is expected of them.</p><h2><b>Why Year 2 for Karl-Anthony Towns will be better than Year 1</b></h2><p>Towns likely has more upside to tap into than Bridges. Why? First of all, he was lost in the team’s offense too often last season — although that applies to Bridges, as well. But understanding  Towns’ importance to New York’s success makes it more puzzling.</p><p>Specifically, Towns went relatively long stretches without involving himself in the team’s offense. And much of that was predicated on lineups. For whatever reason, Towns was pretty ineffective alongside his fellow starters (per 100 possessions), per <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/t/townska01/lineups/2025" rel="noopener">Basketball Reference</a>.</p><p>And the fact that Towns’ was traded to the Knicks so close to the start of last season certainly hurt his ability to adjust to his teammates and his role on the team. Remember, Towns was added just 20 days before opening night.</p><p>While it’s tough to find a comparable situation Towns’ 2024-25 season given how infrequently All-NBA big men are traded in their primes, there are a few that are similar. First, there’s Shaquille O’Neal — an admittedly much more dominant player than Towns.</p><p>While the O’Neal-to-Los Angeles Lakers trade is the first trade involving the Hall-of-Famer that comes to mind, his trade to the Miami Heat is far more relevant. O’Neal was in his prime (32) when the trade that landed him in Miami took place.</p><p>The Heat were eliminated by the Detroit Pistons in the conference finals in their first year after adding O’Neal . However, Miami won the championship the following season. Sure, O’Neal’s stat line took a hit that year. But O’Neal and his teammates benefitted from a full season of building a strong rapport.</p><h2><b>How coach Mike Brown can help with Towns’ development</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Karl-Anthony-Towns-drives-to-the-basket-against-Indiana-Pacers-guard-Andrew-Nembhard-in-the-third-quarter-of-Game-6-of-the-2025-Eastern-Conference-Finals.jpg"><figcaption>Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>In addition to Towns benefiting from an increased familiarly with teammates, coach Mike Brown can also help get more out of Towns. A quick review of how Brown impacted Sacramento Kings’ forward/center Domantas Sabonis is relevant.</p><p>Sabonis was already a two-time All-Star prior to teaming up with Brown. However, a closer look reveals that Brown aided Sabonis’ development after joining Sacramento as head coach. The Lithuanian center shot a career-best 61.5 percent from the field in his first season under Brown. And he achieved and maintained near career-high three-point shooting since playing under Brown, as well. He also stepped up his rebounding. And, most importantly, he qualified for an All-NBA team in both seasons under Brown — something the Gonzaga alum hadn’t previously achieved.</p><p>Maybe Brown is simply better than coach Tom Thibodeau at maximizing his big men. And if so, maybe he can get Towns to play more consistently on offense and/or with greater effort on the defensive end of the floor.</p><h2><b>Why Year 2 for Mikal Bridges will result in improvement</b></h2><p>Towns wasn’t the only Knick who failed to gel with his New York teammates. Bridges fell into the same trap, but for different reasons.</p><p>Bridges shot an atrocious 43/29/67 shooting split in November 2024, which is the first month of the season with more than a handful of games. His shot was so bad that many hypothesized it was broken. He averaged fewer than 15 points per game in November, too — something Bridges hadn’t done in a month with 10 or more games since December 2022. And he struggled to grasp his role.</p><p>Bridges’ familiarity grew as the season progressed. He became more comfortable with his opportunities, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-mikal-bridges-pleads-tom-thibodeau-fewer-minutes">even if he wasn’t entirely comfortable with the heavy minutes he was playing</a>. And like Towns, he flourished when playing with role players, especially in the playoffs. He successfully demonstrated an ability to be the team’s primary playmaker when Brunson was resting or injured. And he looked reinvigorated by the defensive challenges he was given in the postseason.</p><p>Bridges was the Brooklyn Nets’ first option in the 2023-24 season. And his role was even more involved for most of his time with the Phoenix Suns. It’s understandable that Bridges initially struggled to understand where he fit in. But with a greater understanding of what’s expected of him, Bridges is set up for an impactful season.</p><p>Towns and Bridges are set to have better seasons given their increased familiarity with their teammates and roles, respectively. That alone should help the Knicks take the next step and possibly qualify for — and maybe even win — the 2026 NBA Finals. Granted, a lot can go wrong between now and next Spring. But the Knicks haven’t looked this good entering a season in a very long time. And a lot of that has to do with Towns and Bridges.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Year 2 of Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges will push Knicks to next level

Andre Roberson

Jerami Grant

Justin Holiday

Elfrid Payton

Mikal Bridges

Frank Kaminsky

Quinn Cook

Kyle Anderson

Justin Jackson

Darius Miller

2021-22 All-Defensive

Phoenix Suns

Brooklyn Nets

New York Knicks

1 season

Career

2 seasons

https://twitter.com/mikal_bridges/status/1646247941131186177/

https://twitter.com/mikal_bridges/status/1644579048591376389/

https://twitter.com/mikal_bridges/status/1635378518178816005/

https://twitter.com/mikal_bridges/status/1635068845995229187/

https://twitter.com/mikal_bridges/status/1634760237352730624/

https://twitter.com/mikal_bridges/status/1634747043519365124/

https://twitter.com/mikal_bridges/status/1634419986050568193/

https://twitter.com/mikal_bridges/status/1634061160113750017/

And jhart doing everything out there to win

2025-26 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
16.3	4.6	4.7	1.2	2.1

2025-26 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
16.3	4.6	4.7	1.2	2.1

Mikal
Bridges

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Why Year 2 of Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges will push Knicks to next level

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