Mikal Bridges’ early-season slump has put the Knicks in an uncomfortable spot, but Mike Brown isn’t rushing to yank the forward from the starting group or make a dramatic rotation shakeup.
Brown made it clear after Wednesday’s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers that he’s not interested in a knee-jerk response this early in the 2026-27 season, even with Bridges still searching for his rhythm after New York’s championship run last year.
“Mikal has a proven track record of playing at a pretty high level as a starter in this league,” Brown said. “For me to make a ‘panic decision' and change it right now, 10 games in or whatever we are, I'm not feeling it.”
Bridges didn’t see the floor in the fourth quarter against Cleveland, a sign of how much his role has shifted lately. He’s averaging 6.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting 32.9% from the field and 26.5% from three-point range. His minutes have also dipped, with Bridges averaging 20.8 over his last five games compared with 25.1 for the season.
Brown pointed to the play of Landry Shamet and Deuce McBride as a big reason the minutes picture has gotten crowded. Both guards have been productive at both ends, giving the Knicks more lineup flexibility and making it tougher to carve out time for Bridges - and even Josh Hart.
“Part of it is you have two guys that are playing really well in Landy and Deuce, so it’s gonna be hard to find minutes at times for Mikal, and maybe at times for Josh (Hart),” Brown said. “Because those two guys are playing at a pretty high level. Not just on the offensive side of the floor but defensively too.”
That’s the tension for New York right now. The Knicks have a huge investment in Bridges, having traded five first-round picks to get him before signing him to a four-year, $150 million extension. With that kind of commitment, his offensive struggles aren’t just a blip - they’re a real issue the team has to manage.
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