Josh Hart makes feelings clear on Mikal Bridges after blockbuster trade addition's 4th quarter benching
Josh Hart spoke to the media after the game and made his feelings known about teammate Mikal Bridges. The former Brooklyn Nets star has had a difficult start to his life on the other side of the East River, struggling to find form.
During the Knicks' 99-98 win at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, Bridges was a shell of his former self. Starting as a shooting guard, Mikal had eight points, two rebounds and two assists and played 37 minutes. However, his playing time was cut short in the fourth as he was benched and only appeared for three minutes and 45 seconds.
In an interview, former Vilanova teammate Josh Hart talked about Mikal's benching during the fourth quarter and whether Bridges felt pressured:
"I know him, I know he's not worried about it, I am not worried about him. Umm, I think...I am not calling you out specifically or whoever. But the media and people are killing him," replied Josh
"He is in a new situation where he is in a place where he's been what, 18 games? in a different role that he's played last 4 years, so it's our job to get him going. All the other BS about what we gave up this that and other means nothing. If we win and make a championship ain't nobody give a damn about how many picks we give up, we give up 15 picks it don't matter." Hart retorted.
Mikal Bridges made the jump from Brooklyn to New York and became the first player to do so since 1983. The Knicks gave up seven draft picks including four unprotected 1st round picks which caught a lot of attention during the trade window. Only 18 games into the season, Mikal has time to make amends and is in a place where he feels home, especially with college teammates Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart having his back.
Mikal Bridges understands his fourth-quarter omission
After a 225-second cameo in the fourth quarter during his team's 99-98 victory over the Hornets. Mikal Bridges spoke to the media in the locker room and said he understood his omission during the final quarter by coach Tom Thibodeau.
As reported by Kristian Winfield of New York Daily News, Bridges told reporters:
"Obviously I’ve got to play better. With the opportunities I get, I need to convert, I had a lot of sloppy turnovers, a couple times getting scored on. I just have to be better. I think I’ve been inconsistent, You just have to find a rhythm within the team. We’re not even 20 games in yet, so we’re still trying to figure things out." addressed Bridges after the game.
The 28-year-old had a sub-par performance on the night and left the court with his team trailing by four points. His substitution kicked things off for the Knicks who cut short the lead to one-point in the very next possession. Furthermore, McBride who was opted over him had 14-points off the bench compared to Mikal's eight points.
While there is still time to resurrect his career, this isn't the first time Mikal has been benched by his coach during the fourth quarter. During his team's 121-106 loss to the Utah Jazz, Thibodeau took Bridges off 1:57 minutes into the final quarter.