When the Knicks start defending their championship, Mikal Bridges is the kind of player who gets handed the problem nobody else wants.
The assignment is simple on paper and miserable in practice: chase the wing who has been torching everyone for two weeks, slide onto a bigger body when the matchup calls for it, and keep the defense from losing its shape. It’s the sort of work that doesn’t make a player the headline of a title defense, but it can quietly hold the whole thing together.
That’s where Bridges fits for New York. The Knicks have scorers.
They have size. They also have the burden that comes with being the champs, and Bridges is the one who will often have to absorb the mess that comes with opponents aiming higher and swinging harder.
His Finals tape against San Antonio already showed what that role looks like. While the spotlight naturally followed the players putting points on the board, Bridges was the one buried in the tough perimeter possessions, doing the dirty work that never feels glamorous but always matters.
The challenge next season won’t be one clean matchup after another. It will be a weekly grind, with teams circling the Knicks, probing the wings, and trying to see whether New York can still get stops once the game turns ragged.
Bridges can’t handle all of that alone. OG Anunoby will have plenty on his plate, and the rest of the roster has to do its part, too.
Still, Bridges is the guy who can force an opponent into a tougher shot instead of a comfortable one. And that matters when the offense stalls and the building gets tight.
Those are the nights that separate a good defender from a crucial one. A stop from Bridges can carry the same weight as a big scoring night, especially when the game gets uncomfortable and the Knicks need someone to steady the floor.
He’s already proven he can handle the stage. The harder task is repeating it while every team in the league comes after the champs with a little extra intent.
In Other News...
Knicks Just Set Up A Sneaky Camp Battle For One Roster Spot
The Knicks kept their late-summer roster churn moving by adding center Drew Eubanks on a one-year, non-guaranteed contract and big man Liam Robbins on an Exhibit 10 deal. Eubanks gives New York another experienced frontcourt body heading into camp, while Robbins gets a longer look after landing in an arrangement that can funnel players toward the Westchester Knicks if they spend time with the G League club.
New York also signed six more players - Jaden Akins, Nick Jourdain, Mitch Mascari, Toby Okani, Igor Milicic and Paul Zilinskas - to Exhibit 10 contracts before waiving them, a common setup that keeps the pipeline active around camp and Westchester. The bigger intrigue now is how the Knicks sort out the final end-of-roster competition and which of the newcomers can turn a temporary invitation into something more lasting once practices and preseason games begin. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Face A Quietly Important Depth Decision Behind Towns And Drummond
With 13 roster spots already spoken for, the Knicks are still sorting through how to round out the back end of the roster, and the search has leaned toward defense and experience. Among the names they have looked at are veteran free agents Drew Eubanks and John Konchar, a sign that New York is trying to keep the final pieces of the group functional rather than flashy as it builds around its core.
Eubanks is the more interesting fit because of the position he can play in the shadow of Karl-Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond. The Knicks could use a dependable third center who can absorb regular-season minutes without forcing a bigger structural change, and Eubanks has been part of that conversation as he works his way back from thumb surgery. For a team trying to preserve its frontcourt depth over a long season, the last open spot may matter more than it usually does. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Face One Big Hurdle In Veteran Wing Pursuit
John Konchars market is starting to take shape after Minnesota waived him following the trade from Utah, and the veteran wing is suddenly looking like one of the more interesting free-agent names still out there. Miami, Orlando, Toronto and the Knicks have all been linked to him, which makes sense for teams still hunting for reliable wing depth without overcommitting resources this late in the offseason.
For New York, the appeal is obvious, but so is the challenge. The Knicks have been combing the market for ways to add another capable perimeter piece, yet their roster and financial wiggle room are tight enough that any move has to be carefully measured. That leaves Konchar in an awkward spot for the moment: a useful fit for a contender, but one whose next landing place may come down to which interested team can create the cleanest path. [Read more 🡒]