The number one goal for the Phoenix Suns this 2021-22 NBA season is redemption. They exceeded all expectations last year by making it all the way to the NBA Finals. They came up short. And in a league where winning is everything, Chris Paul and crew cannot comfortably pat themselves on the back.
Unlike last year when the Suns were a little bit out of the radar, this year, teams are well-aware of what the head coach Monty Williams and Co. can do.
As such, they have a huge target on their back as the team to beat. Williams is fully aware of this. He cannot just layout a similar game plan this season and expect similar if not greater results. And so in the offseason, he shared his plan on turning Mikal Bridges into a legitimate scorer, specifically the third option behind Devin Booker and Chris Paul.
So far, Bridges is succeeding.
Suns' Pleasant Surprise: Mikal Bridges
Mikal Bridges is now an offensive threat
Six games into the 2021-22 NBA season, Bridges is averaging 16.3 points per game on 56.1 percent from the field and 44.0 percent from deep—all of which are career-highs. Obviously, these numbers may still go up or down as the season progresses. But let's note that in those six games, Bridges led the team in scoring twice. Compared to last season where he only led the team in scoring in four outings, we can say that this is a major improvement.
Bridges didn't make any drastic changes to his offensive game. He still benefits a ton from the playmaking genius of Chris Paul and the attention that Devin Booker gets. Like in 2020-21, Bridges continues to be dead-eye from behind the arc. He's also an amazing cutter and finishes around the ring. Perhaps the most underrated part of his game is his mid-range shot, something he unveils from pull-up dribbles.
Perhaps what changed is that Bridges is just simply more active. At this point in his career, he has a clearer understanding of the game as a whole, as well as the tendencies of his teammates. He's also more patient with his mid-range shots. He's more aware of how close the defender is. If there's ample space, then he'll pull the trigger. If there's none, then he'll pull off a pump fake or just pass it off.
As mentioned, Bridges has benefited and is taking advantage of Williams' clear-cut plan for him. With this in mind, we might see more games where Bridges leads the team in scoring.
The next Kawhi Leonard?
Last year, Bridges finished 11th in the NBA All-Defensive 10-man pool. This put him on the radar (at least for non-Suns fans) as a lockdown defender. Those who have been following Bridges know that since college, the man has been a terrific defender. As such, the spike in his offensive game will likely garner comparisons with Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard. The man started out as a lockdown defender with the San Antonio Spurs then later became a potent scorer.
Amid the improvements in his offensive game, Bridges is still a solid defender. He's usually the player assigned to guard the opposing team's best player. He doesn't limit his defensive activities to one man. On top of this colossal task, Bridges still reads what the offense is doing, reacts accordingly, and either gets steals, blocks or just deflections to break the rhythm.
We may be observing the rise of a great two-way player in Bridges. If the Suns do replicate their success from last year (or even exceed it by winning the title), then Bridges may just gain more respect from his peers and analysts. If he becomes an All-Star in the future, this shouldn't be a big surprise.
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