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Knicks' Mikal Bridges on Verge of Superstardom

Mikal Bridges continues to grow for the New York Knicks.

Jeremy Brener

Dec 21, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges (25) dribbles the ball against New Orleans Pelicans guard Trey Murphy III (25) during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Dec 21, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges (25) dribbles the ball against New Orleans Pelicans guard Trey Murphy III (25) during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
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New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges was traded for five first-round picks over the summer, a price that teams only trade to acquire a superstar.

While the Knicks have been led by Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns all season long, Bridges is beginning to enter the conversation of being the team's third star that it has been seeking.

“You can see each game there’s more comfort," Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said h/t Posting and Toasting. "That’s probably not the right word, but [Bridges] has a great rhythm going now. He understands his teammates a lot better. His teammates understand him a lot better. He’s playing a great floor game. He’s moving without the ball. He’s getting down the floor quickly in transition.”

Bridges has played the role of being a glue guy with the Phoenix Suns and a No. 1 scorer with the Brooklyn Nets, and now he is taking aspects from both of those experiences to work things out with the Knicks.

“I try to be a mix [of Phoenix and Brooklyn]," Bridges said. "That’s the biggest thing. I think that’s a big reason why I got traded here is to be able to do both. I’m just trying to get better every day and do well on both ends.”

Bridges has been getting more comfortable with the Knicks, and if he can continue to do so, he could be closer to the same level as Towns and Brunson and help New York get closer to a title.

“Us as teammates, we had to help him, and we had to be better for him. I think all of us understood the challenge and accepted the challenge and made it an emphasis to get him going," Towns said.

“He’s not just a player in this league. He’s a star in this league, and he deserves to have the thought process of a star."

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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