Everything in place for next step in Mikal Bridges’ Knicks rise

Mikal Bridges knew people thought he produced a strong postseason.

That he finally combined the flashes of offensive potential and the spurts of lockdown defense, creating vintage Knicks moments — the steal in Game 1 of the Celtics series, the block in Game 2 — that became expected given his price tag.

Still, Bridges felt he could’ve done more.

“A lot more,” Bridges said after practice Wednesday, two weeks before his second year with the Knicks officially begins.

If getting acquired in exchange for five first-rounders didn’t already elevate the stakes, then his $150 million contract extension certainly did.

But the new system under new Knicks head coach Mike Brown might be perfectly suited for Bridges.

Their wing can be one of the best runners in the NBA — and might be the best one, Brown said.

Their offense now relies on flow and pace and movement, allowing Bridges to bolt from the corner to the rim to anywhere in between. “Two of his strides,” Brown said, “equal six of my strides.”

Earlier in his career, Bridges built his reputation around defense, finishing as the runner-up for defensive player of the year in 2021-22 with the Suns.

Then, with the Nets, he needed to morph into a primary scoring option who could attempt between 15 and 18 shots per game.

Bridges was supposed to mesh both together as a Knick — and at times, he did en route to averaging 17.6 points per game and finishing with his best defensive rating (112.9) since 2021-22.

But in Year 2, he’ll get a chance to showcase that more consistently.

“He can get out and go,” Brown said. “He’s got long strides. Everything’s real fluid. He’s long. And now when he does that, it puts a lot of pressure on our opponents.”

Bridges, known for his iron-man streak and never missing a game, quickly encountered a rocky first year after the blockbuster trade.

He didn’t collect his second 20-point game until the third week of the season. The high of his 41-point gem on Christmas Day was accompanied by two scoreless outings and 10 single-digit performances.

But unlike with the Nets, he didn’t necessarily need to serve as the leading scorer within a unit also featuring Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.

Bridges could serve as the other Knicks wing alongside OG Anunoby and help spark transition offense, and he finished with the most miles accumulated (231.10) in the league during the regular season.

That wrinkle could benefit Bridges in Brown’s offense.

During one of the Knicks preseason games in Abu Dhabi last week, Bridges caught a ball in the corner, kicked it out and then re-spaced correctly after Brunson dropped into the corner — recognizing the Knicks couldn’t have two players in the same spot, Brown said.

“As soon as he landed, he took a stride and a half and he was at the rim,” Brown said, “and he was wide open and he got the dunk.”

The Knicks coaching staff has plenty of overlap with Bridges from previous spots, too — with assistant Riccardo Fois on the Suns player development staff from 2019-21 and assistant Mark Bryant a Phoenix assistant from 2019-23.

They know his strengths. The playoffs last year, when Bridges averaged 15.6 points and delivered impact moments, displayed them, too.

If everything with the Knicks offense operates correctly, they can shine again, Brown said.

In between those possessions, he’ll get tasked with guarding point guards some nights, chasing shooting guards on others. Bridges’ staple will remain his staple.

An ability to fight through screens and guard the point of attack has given Brown versatility to work with, to the point where, if Reggie Miller was still playing, “I’d throw him on Reggie,” Brown said.

“We’ll mix it up,” Brown said, when asked if he’s talked to Bridges about remaining the point-of-attack defender. “He won’t always be at the point of the ball. He won’t always chase shooters. But I haven’t asked him because I know he’s elite at it. He knows he’s elite at it.”

The presence of Bridges on defense can help the Knicks compensate for their weaker pieces in Brunson and Towns.

The presence of Bridges on offense can give them another dynamic scorer when needed — especially if defenses zero in on Brunson, zero in on Towns and force those around them to win games.

Bridges struggled to blend everything together last year. Even when he pieced them together eventually, he sensed there was more. And the arrival of Brown — as well as the system he brought with him — could help.

“Just be better throughout the whole year,” Bridges said. “Start the season off strong, be better than I was last year.”