Mikal Bridges' Shooting Struggles: A Preseason Examination
The NBA preseason often serves as a platform for experimentation and adjustment—a time when players can work out on-court kinks and develop chemistry with new teammates. For Mikal Bridges, this period has brought to light an aspect of his game that requires attention: his three-point shooting. Known for his proficiency beyond the arc with a career average of 37.5%, Bridges has hit a surprising snag, missing all ten of his three-point attempts in a recent preseason matchup against the Washington Wizards.
Bridges' shooting troubles are particularly surprising for those familiar with his historical consistency. Throughout his NBA career, he has never dipped below a 36.1% three-point shooting percentage in any season. Last year, while playing for the Brooklyn Nets, he maintained a 37.2% efficiency from three-point range on 7.2 attempts per game. Within the catch-and-shoot category, a play type essential for stretching defenses, he ranked seventh in the NBA in attempts at 5.6 per game, converting an impressive 38.4% of those opportunities.
Despite these past successes, Bridges' current shooting mechanics are a sign of an ongoing battle that dates back to his college years. "Ever since I got into the league, been trying to fix it back to when I was in college, so it's been seven years of just every day," Bridges admitted. His journey had a notable hitch during his second NBA season, and the struggle since then has been to rectify his stroke. "When I came out of college, I kind of tweaked it a little bit. And then my second year in the league, I had the hitch, and tried to build back from that ever since. So just trying to get it right. Pretty much it," he explained.
This narrative isn't unique in the world of professional basketball. Players frequently modify their shooting styles upon entering the NBA, adapting to different levels of competition and new coaching philosophies. Bridges' adjustments, however, have come at the cost of ongoing reconstruction attempts aimed at retaining or enhancing his earlier effective form.
Bridges' struggle in the preseason culminated in a challenging stretch where he went just 2 of 19 from three-point range across four games. This slump arrives at a critical juncture as his new team, the New York Knicks, have invested heavily in him, trading away five first-round picks to acquire the talented forward in the offseason. The team, no doubt, expects Bridges to be an impactful presence on both ends of the floor, fulfilling the three-and-D role he excelled in prior stints.
As the preseason progresses, Bridges' focus will remain on finding the right mechanics that bring back his reliable shooting touch. While the Knicks and their fans may harbor concerns given the significant resources spent to bring Bridges onboard, it is a period intended precisely for such fine-tuning. With his track record, Bridges is no stranger to overcoming adversities, and his commitment to daily improvement suggests he is determined to recalibrate his skills effectively.
The hope within the Knicks' organization is that Bridges' shooting woes are merely a preseason anomaly rather than an indication of future struggles. Crossing this hurdle would reaffirm his position as a sharp-shooter, essential to the Knicks' offensive strategies and goals. As the regular season looms, the spotlight will continue to shine brightly on Mikal Bridges, a player with a proven pedigree now aiming to rediscover the form that has made him one of the NBA's respected shooters.