Mikal Bridges Is Quietly Dominating the Fast Break - And the Knicks Are Reaping the Rewards
In a season where the Knicks have found a new gear under Mike Brown’s up-tempo system, one player has quietly become the engine of their transition attack: Mikal Bridges. While much of the spotlight has gone to New York’s bigger names or the team’s stylistic shift, Bridges is doing something historically efficient - and he’s doing it at full speed.
Let’s break it down: Bridges isn’t just good in transition. He’s been the best in the league.
Among 29 players averaging at least five transition points per game, Bridges leads the pack in efficiency, boasting a staggering 78.1 effective field goal percentage (eFG%) in those situations. That’s not just elite - it’s on pace to be the highest mark since the NBA began tracking transition stats back in 2015-16.
To put that in perspective, the current record holder is LeBron James in 2016 at 75.7%. Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo, two of the most devastating scorers in open space, trail just behind.
But right now, Bridges is outpacing them all.
And it’s not by accident.
“The system is made for him,” Karl-Anthony Towns said after the Knicks’ recent win over the Heat. “It’s perfect. He’s just maximizing what he does best to help us win.”
Brown’s offense is built to run - off makes, off misses, off anything - and Bridges is thriving in that chaos. He’s shooting 67% overall in transition, fourth-best in the league behind only Giannis and Orlando’s young wings, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. But where Bridges separates himself is in his ability to knock down threes before the defense even knows what hit them.
In that win over Miami, Bridges went 6-of-7 from beyond the arc. Three of those came in transition, before the Heat defense had a chance to get set - the NBA’s official definition of a “running jump shot.”
That’s where Bridges is making his biggest leap. He’s 9-of-17 (52.9%) on those running threes this season.
For comparison, Wagner is 3-of-7 (42.9%), and Josh Giddey is an impressive 7-of-9 (77.8%) - but on much lower volume.
Even the league’s other transition stars can’t match that combination of volume and efficiency. Victor Wembanyama is shooting 74.4% in transition overall but has only taken six running threes all season.
Giannis? Dominant in transition, but he hasn’t attempted a single running three.
Anthony Edwards has just five attempts. Bridges is doing it more often and making it count.
So what’s behind the breakout?
“I think it’s just timing, knowing when a guy’s about to pass and kinda getting your feet right,” Bridges said postgame. “I’ve been doing this since college... I’ve always been big on running in transition, knowing when to get the one-two down and rhythm up into the shot.”
That rhythm is translating into a career year - and not just in transition. Bridges is averaging 17 points per game while shooting 52.9% from the field and a blistering 43% from deep.
His scoring is slightly down from last season under Tom Thibodeau, but his efficiency has skyrocketed. That’s largely because of a shift in shot selection: three-pointers now make up a larger chunk of his attempts, with one extra three per 20 shots compared to last year.
He’s also doing more as a playmaker. Bridges is averaging a career-high 4.3 assists per game, many of them coming in that gray area between defense and offense - the exact space where he’s become most dangerous.
“I think being able to shoot it off the catch or off the run and being able to put it down and try to play-make,” Bridges said. “And I think my teammates are playing the right way and finding everybody, including myself.”
That’s the beauty of Brown’s system - it’s not just about speed, it’s about synergy. And Bridges, with his elite timing, smooth shooting, and unselfish reads, is the perfect fit.
In Year 2 of his Knicks tenure, Mikal Bridges isn’t just fitting in. He’s flourishing - and helping redefine what this team can be in the open floor.