'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
After being traded from Brooklyn to New York, Mikal Bridges once again finds himself on a contender. Before the regular season gets underway, the veteran forward jabbed at one of his top competitors in the Eastern Conference.
Last offseason, the blockbuster trade in the NBA was Damian Lillard going to the Milwaukee Bucks. Just before the start of training camp, the All-Star guard provided a sneak peek of how he looks heading into year two with his new squad.
In the clip he posted on Instagram, Lillard got past Gary Trent Jr. for a layup in a team scrimmage. Instead of getting right back on defense, he hung around and made an attempt to steal the inbounds pass.
Mikal Bridges ended up commenting on the post, poking fun at him by claiming he was never going to pull off the steal.
"Get back bruh u not getting that steal"
After a brief stint with the Nets, Bridges finds himself reunited with his Villanova teammates on the Knicks. Following the multiple moves they've made over the past 12 months, New York will once again be looking to contend in the East.
They were able to reach the semifinal round last postseason but were eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in seven games.
As for Bridges, he is coming off a season in Brooklyn where he averaged 19.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists.
Mikal Bridges opens up on his goals with the New York Knicks
Over the past few years, Mikal Bridges has gone through a drastic role change in the NBA. When he started his career with the Phoenix Suns, he was a three-and-D wing playing off an All-Star guard in Devin Booker. However, things changed drastically for him when he got dealt to the Brooklyn Nets for Kevin Durant.
With no other stars on the roster, Bridges became the No. 1 option in Brooklyn's offense for him. He was able to showcase his ability to put the ball on the floor and create, and it yielded some positive results. In the first 27 games following the trade, he averaged over 26 points per game for the Nets.
Now on the New York Knicks, Mikal Bridges will be slotted back into a complementary role. During a recent interview with RG.org, he opened up on what his goals are for his new team. Bridges' biggest priority is getting back to being an efficient shooter.
"Just being more efficient all around the board,” Bridges said of his goal. “I think that's something I've always been my whole life, so it's kinda been weird the past year-and-a-half not being as efficient as I want to."
On his new team, Bridges should see an uptick in his shooting numbers. With guys like Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle commanding most of the attention, it should result in open looks for those around them.
