Mikal Bridges shoulders responsibility in another Nets' lopsided loss: "I've got to do better"

Mikal vows to improve his game and become a needed leader as pressure arises.

© Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports

During the persistent downturn of the Brooklyn Nets, Mikal Bridges has been delivering subpar performances, contributing to the team's struggles.

Against the New Orleans Pelicans, wherein they suffered their fourth straight loss, Mikal’s presence has been nowhere to be found yet again. For 29 minutes, he only went off for 13 points in which he was just four-of-11 from the field. These woeful marks went punchless to at least pull the Nets from tallying the lowest points they scored in a single game this season thus far (85).

Accountable for the team's lapses

Within Brooklyn's 11 previous games in which they sustained nine defeats, Mikal is not living up to his promise as the franchise's newest star, averaging just 16.3 points in a lowly 38 percent mark from the field.

Against the Pels was a new passive performance from him, and Bridges admitted that it was all his fault for the insufficient leadership he displayed on and off the court.

“We’ve just got to keep our heads up. When times get tough, you can’t just let up. When they make a run, it should boost us even more, and I felt like we lacked that,” Bridges said. “I’ve got to be better just as leader and player, just to be more vocal and do my best to lead this team. But I felt like I’ve done a poor job.

“We got punched in the mouth and just sat back. We didn’t keep going forward after. And that’s on players, right there. It’s going to be like that. They might make a run … you’ve got to have accountability on ourselves to get back up and fight, and besides, just lay down.”

A promise to be better

The Pelicans quickly stomped the Nets from the jump. In the second quarter, they already posted a 27-point margin. That wasn't entirely the huge issue but the team's eventual effort and urgency to come up huge from the adversity.

As he struggled from the field, Brooklyn also woefully followed. They collectively shot a horrendous 35.7 percent field goal shooting that now also stands as a season-worst.

“I’ve got to do better,” Bridges said. “Just personally being more vocal and be more physical and being on both ends. You just can’t let up.” 

The Nets hit rock bottom with a grueling 85-112 loss to the Pelicans