The 2022-23 season thrust Mikal Bridges out of the background and into the spotlight. After joining the Brooklyn Nets in a trade that sent Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns, Bridges stepped into a lead-scoring role in Brooklyn. Anyone who criticized the Nets' return for Durant was silenced soon after.
In 30 games with the Nets, Bridges averaged 27.7 points on 47/38/89 shooting splits. The former lottery pick scored 30 or more 12 times with Brooklyn after reaching the total just twice in four-and-a-half years with Phoenix.
Bridges moved into an expanded role early this season with Suns star Devin Booker sidelined, allowing him to utilize a growing offensive repertoire he had been developing behind the scenes. While he had success in Phoenix, it paled in comparison to his breakout with the Nets.
The Villanova product accelerated his growth as a three-level scorer following the trade. Bridges excelled in the mid-range, taking 48% of his shots from that area with Brooklyn. He converted on 48% of those attempts, ranking in the 83rd percentile among NBA wings, per Cleaning the Glass.
Bridges also continued his high-level spot-up shooting, converting 37.6 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes. More importantly, he became increasingly comfortable taking threes off the dribble, a skill that bodes well for his ceiling as a high-usage scorer.
Throughout his last two seasons with Phoenix, Bridges shot 19-of-59 (32.2 percent) on pull-up threes, attempting just 0.4 per game. He more than quadrupled that volume with Brooklyn, shooting 37.5 percent on 1.8 attempts per game. Defenders often sag off Bridges on the perimeter, surrendering pull-up threes while taking away lanes to the rim and mid-range.
If Bridges hopes to emerge as a primary scorer on a playoff team, his ability to continue to make defenders pay on those shots is imperative.
Mikal Bridges was routinely able to score 25 or more on nights when he struggled from the field, a product of his growing ability to draw fouls. His 6.9 free throws per game with the Nets ranked 14th in the NBA. He shot 89.4 percent from the line, the league's second-best percentage among 33 players to average 5.5 or more attempts during that span.
Bridges cooled off considerably during Brooklyn's first-round series against Philadelphia. Following a 30-point performance on 12-of-18 shooting in Game 1, he struggled to consistently produce, finishing the series averaging 23.5 points per game on 43/40/78 shooting splits. Bridges spent the majority of the series guarding James Harden, routinely picking the former MVP up full-court.
While he has a background as a defensive stopper, star players normally see their defensive responsibilities scaled back during the playoffs as their offensive burden grows. That wasn't the case for Bridges, who appeared fatigued down the stretch of games.
Following the series, the five-year veteran was asked if he feels his defensive workload could decrease as he continues to emerge as a lead scoring option.
“I just take a lot of pride in defense. That’s just something that will never go away. It’s just how I am and how I just play basketball,” Bridges replied. “But having a guy like Dorian [Finney-Smith], if he’s not getting the ball as much, for his energy I know defense is the type of thing that can get him going offensively. I’m not gonna be the guy that’s just gonna be like, ‘No, I’m just gonna guard this guy for my sake even though I know Doe can guard.’
“I’ve been the guy that’s been off-ball and getting my energy from defense,” he continued. “And I know that’s the same for guys like Doe. So obviously my defense will never go away, but there’s situations like that where I’ll definitely take a little step back just for guys like that, like Doe, who gotta get their energy off defense.”
One area Mikal Bridges has considerable room to grow is his playmaking. He averaged just 2.7 assists per game with the Nets. Those limitations as a distributor led to Spencer Dinwiddie, who ranked fifth in the league at 9.1 assists per game with Brooklyn, dominating the ball down the stretch of games. Bridges will need to improve at processing defensive coverages and making quick decisions while probing on the pick-and-roll or driving to the hoop.
The Philadelphia native said he looks forward to adding to his offensive skillset during his first offseason in Brooklyn.
“It’s just continuing to get better and work on things. Each summer, just keeping the core things and adding things. That’s how it’s gonna be this summer,” he said. “Just what to expect for next year and just keep adding to my game and everything else. The thing about me is I’m just always trying to get better every year. I'm trying to be the best player I can be when it’s all said and done. There’s always room to grow and this summer just learning things and adding more things to do to that routine.”
The Nets ranked 28th in clutch offense (final five minutes within five points) after trading Durant and Irving, shooting just 40 percent while posting a 4-7 record in those games. Bridges attempted just nine of Brooklyn's 60 clutch shots while taking a backseat to Dinwiddie, who attempted 22.
Following a swift playoff exit, Nets GM Sean Marks pointed to Bridges' ability to develop his skillset as a closer when speaking about the 26-year-old's ceiling.
“Mikal has proven to a lot of people that his role can continue to get better and better and bigger and bigger. So I think I would be pretty silly to be up here and limit him and say he cannot be something,” Marks said. “I think that a few people have had their eyes open to what he can do. But now that when the ball’s in his hands in those key crucial moments of games, can he step up? Can he be that guy that we can rely on in big moments?”
The 2022-23 campaign also exemplified arguably Bridges' greatest trait: dependability. He appeared in 83 games, more than any other player, while leading the NBA in minutes.
Cam Johnson, who is known as Bridges' “Twin” dating back to their first years in Phoenix, raved about his long teammate during his exit interview:
“The dude is an everyday guy: shows up every day, competes every day, works to be better every day. He doesn’t take a day off. He doesn’t take a game off. He doesn’t take a practice off. He's always there,” Johnson said. “That’s one of the things I’ve appreciated about playing with him the most is that he’s one of the most dependable teammates I’ve ever had. Just in terms of you know what you’re gonna get from him. I think he reaped the fruits of that labor this year.”
Bridges' iron-man status, along with his high standing as a teammate in Brooklyn's locker room, could catch the eye of stars around the league. Damian Lillard has spoken glowingly about the Nets forward and has been linked to Brooklyn following his courtside appearance at Barclays Center.
Overall, Mikal Bridges' breakout stint with Brooklyn is the highlight of an otherwise disappointing Nets season. His midseason acquisition drew rave reviews across the league as a young player with All-Star potential. Bridges is owed $23.3 million annually for the next three seasons, a contract that should be among the best value deals in the league.
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