Gavin Schall here, the host of the daily Locked On Knicks podcast, with your daily Locked On Knicks newsletter. Each day we bring you the biggest stories about the Knicks and the NBA, including the hottest links to other stories you need to read. Plus, Josh Lloyd delivers daily fantasy notes to crush your league.
The Trials And Tribulations Of Mikal Bridges
So let’s start off by stating the rational. It is too soon to judge the Mikal Bridges trade. It is too soon to judge the New York Knicks as the championship contenders they aspire to be to justify the trade.
I’ll repeat the first part again for the people in the back. IT IS TOO SOON TO JUDGE MIKAL BRIDGES!!!!
And yet there is an uneasiness within the Knicks fandom. Despite being historically slow starting under Tom Thibodeau and still trying to find a two way identity as a team that formed about two weeks before the start of the season that anxiety is understandable.
The Knicks have never been all in before this year. And despite the fact that Karl-Anthony Towns is the Knicks’ highest paid player and co-offensive hub on the 2nd best offense in basketball, the human embodiment of that “all-inness” is Mikal Bridges.
The Knicks gave the Nets four unprotected first round picks, a 2028 pick swap and a potential Milwaukee Bucks pick that is looking more and more drool worthy with every clanged Brook Lopez three.
It was a lot at the time for a player who had never made an All-Star team and did not seem particularly likely to make one in his career.
But you could see the outline of what the team was thinking. A contract small enough that they wouldn’t have to break up their current core, a personality and of course Villanova stamped history that meant an inevitable seamless fit with his college teammates. A history as a championship caliber role player on the Suns with a ceiling of holding down the fort for spurts as a primary that he flashed on the Nets.
The reality has looked a little different. Bridges spooked Knicks fans with a painful looking revamped jumping (little closer to Grandpa pulled a muscle showing you how he shot in the 50’s vs. KD Lite) that led to a 2/19 stretch from three this preseason. It has looked better in fits and spurts during the regular season as he lit it up inside the arc shooting 58% from mid-range (89th percentile for wings) and in nailing 52% of his corner threes (remarkably the best mark in the NBA for wings). The shots falls off from distance however as he is shooting just 16% on his non-corner threes and 32% overall from three.
His usage is the lowest it’s been since the start of his on the ball breakout in 2022-23. Perhaps most concerningly he’s taken just eight free throws in nine games and a career low 13% of his shots are coming at the rim. He’s had good games and good moments, but you don’t FEEL him as someone who’s changing games on the offensive end the way the Knicks need to win a championship.
Many would consider it foolish to be doing a deep dive on his offense when the Knicks’ defense has been by far their bigger issue. Mikal’s been middling on that end of the floor. At times flashing the smarts, screen navigation and all enveloping length that made him one of the world’s most highly regarded defenders during his time on the Suns and at times he’s simply been background noise at the point of attack while star guards cut a swath through the Knicks meager resistance.
The Knicks issues go beyond Bridges with a lack of depth chief amongst them, but the assets given up for Bridges severely limits their ability to fix them. So Bridges must be more, do more, to resolve them. The Knicks need the best of Suns’ Bridges and the best of Nets’ Bridges to make this team work.
There is still plenty of time for that to happen, but unlike the past the Knicks don’t have many alternatives if it doesn’t.
The second annual NBA In-Season Tournament/much catchier ‘NBA Cup’ begins tonight, kicking off roughly a month of tournament games that fall on Tuesdays and Fridays. Then, we get into the quarterfinals and conference semifinals, the rules of which I am still not 100% clear on and am not ashamed to admit.
The newness of the Cup is what makes people skeptical of it. It’s what made me skeptical of it last season. It’s difficult to introduce new things into competitive ecosystems that seem largely “set”, which is why it happens rarely. My skepticism of the tournament came from the need to gameify what is already a game, but then I thought about how often the “product” of the NBA (e.g. basketball) gets complained about and realized the league was trying something. Trying something different versus just complaining about what already exists for the sake of griping is also rare.
Part of the fun of the tournament in its current, very green iteration, is its messiness. Last season, athletes were clear about how they, too, were stumped on the rules. How did the point system work? What were the knockout rules? Why were the custom courts so garish? But for the most part, players leaned into it. Did the Lakers lean a little too hard into it by hanging the In-Season Tournament banner in the rafters? Absolutely. But these are Tuesday night games in November — nothing about them should be sacrosanct.
A genuine lift I noticed and liked about last season’s tournament, and my real point of defense, is how these games operated as additional runway for a handful of teams on the verge. The In-Season Tournament was where we started to see the Pacers flourish and use the breakneck speed that went on to become a critical component of their entirely unique offense. The Pelicans also treated the tournament as something different, approaching the games like an escape from the early season injury woes that derailed them (unfortunately in a very cruel deja vu, we’re seeing the same thing this season). There’s going to be more emerging teams and play styles showing themselves this time around.
Katie Heindl is a credentialed NBA and WNBA writer, her bylines have appeared with The New York Times Magazine, SLAM, The Athletic, Yahoo Sports, Dime, Rolling Stone, among others. She writes the bestselling Substack, Basketball Feelings and is working on a book of the same name.
Home and Away
Injury The NBA has a ‘missing stars’ problem with injuries piling up faster than normal. (Yahoo! Sports)
Rumor Did Giannis Antetokounmpo’s fake handshake prank launch a new NBA rivalry?
Preview The tiny town and legendary 1980s NBA team that built NBA Draft phenom Cooper Flagg (ESPN)
Analysis The Knicks need more from Mikal Bridges to turn their season around. His performance will be crucial for the team’s success.
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Monday’s NBA Fantasy Basketball Recap
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) reacts during the second half against the Sacramento Kings at Frost Bank Center.|Photo by Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Monday’s NBA action featured five games, each packed with performances and injury updates that could reshape your fantasy basketball strategy.
Injury Updates Affecting Lineups
Damian Lillard’s entry into concussion protocol means he’ll miss Tuesday’s game, with a slim chance of returning by Wednesday. This quick turnaround is unusual, so keep an eye on updates. Meanwhile, Gary Trent Jr. is still dealing with back spasms, and despite his fantasy position eligibility, he’s not a point guard, averaging only two assists per game. The Milwaukee Bucks are experimenting with their lineup, with Pat Connaughton and Ryan Rollins as potential backup point guards. Giannis Antetokounmpo can handle point guard duties, but he needs support, especially with Khris Middleton unavailable.
Zion Williamson’s injury update is a blow to fantasy managers. He’s expected to be out for four to six weeks, longer than initially anticipated. If you have an IR spot, hold onto him, but be prepared for a potentially extended absence. Malik Monk’s ankle injury will keep him out for at least two weeks, affecting the Sacramento Kings’ lineup. Kevin Huerter and Keon Ellis could see increased value in the short term.
Game Highlights and Player Performances
The San Antonio Spurs pulled off a surprising 116-96 victory over the Sacramento Kings. Victor Wembanyama was the standout performer, delivering a stellar 34 points and 14 rebounds, solidifying his status as a top fantasy player. De’Aaron Fox’s assist numbers are concerning, especially with DeMar DeRozan’s arrival affecting his role. DeRozan’s on-court fit with the Kings remains a question mark. Kevin Huerter’s inconsistency continues, and while he had a hot streak, his recent performance was lacklustre. Keegan Murray’s struggles are evident, and I don’t see him breaking into the top 75 players this season.
Something Or Nothing: Does The Knicks Defense Actually Suck? + Can Mikal Bridges Find His Shot?
Gavin Schall and Alex Wolfe play a new Knicks theme’d version of “Something Or Nothing?” by running through six stats/trends (and one conspiracy theory) that have defined the team’s early season. Is the defense really this bad? Did Mikal Bridges really forget how to shoot threes while becoming Kevin Durant in the mid-range? Has Josh Hart transformed into an elite pick and roll operator?
The Knicks Cruise Past the Wizards | Are They Clicking At Just the Right Time?
Alex goes solo to break down the Knicks’ drubbing of the Wizards, including huge performances from Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, some much-needed rest for the starters, and the continued emergence of Pacome Dadiet as the Knicks approach a very winnable part of their schedule.
Josh Hart And Karl-Anthony Towns Rip Through Brooklyn And The Knicks Win Again
Well that one was less dramatic! The Knicks again played like the Avatar and found perfect balance in the four elements as four starters finished with at least 20 points in 114-104 win over the Brooklyn Nets that was largely settled midway through the 4th quarter. Gavin Schall breaks down a third straight fantastic night from Josh Hart and the creative ways Tom Thibodeau used him to unlock the Knicks offense before exploring Karl-Anthony Towns deep Cheesecake Factoryesque bag and OG Anunoby punishing the Nets and the rim. We also touch on Pacome Dadiet flashing defensively and deserving more minutes and Mikal Bridges confident shooting.
