Sometimes all it takes is a transfer for a good player to become a very good player, or even a star. This is what happens to Mikal Bridges, moved from the role of Lieutenant in the Suns, to that of Commander or General in the Nets. Two months after arriving in Brooklyn, the former Phoenix winger has not only become the team’s offensive leader with his 26-point average, but also a locker room leader. A boon for the Nets who are coming out of a very complicated period with the arrivals, then the departures, of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden.
“We knew the end of an era was near”confirms Sean Marks to ESPN. “When Kyrie left, the discussions with Phoenix intensified and it became concrete, as if we were changing course. Were we about to start from scratch, strengthen or rebuild? We were able to accept it because the “package” we received in return was something that offered a clear vision. We had never before had a group of young people under contract, who had proven themselves, who were in good health and who could give us a glimpse of what it would be like in two or three years. Not just Mikal, but each of them, where are they going to take their game? Who will be the next to reach a milestone? “.
Considered Bridges’ twin to the Suns because they were inseparable, Cam Johnson confirmed all the good the Suns thought of him, since they had just extended him, and Bridges has therefore reached this famous milestone, and we can even say that he crossed several since he quickly established himself as one of the best wingers in the Eastern Conference.
Humble, endearing…
“I don’t know if he knows how good he is and how good he can be” pursues the GM of the Nets. “But I know he wants to be a great player and he will have the opportunity to prove it. We had done our investigation and we said to ourselves: “It’s incredible what we hear about him. It’s amazing “. He then arrives at the room, and we say to ourselves: “It’s better than I thought”. I observe his behavior, not only with me, but also with the personnel on the ground. I observe his behavior with people who can do absolutely nothing for him, and that says a lot about the person he is”.
Because Bridges is therefore not only a super player in the making, he is also a remarkable person. Maybe that’s why Monty Williams cried when he learned of his departure. The Nets’ oldest player, Joe Harris was won over by the personality of his new teammate. “It’s obvious that he is an incredible player, but the fact that he has his feet on the ground, that he is humble and endearing, is just as important. The first time he arrived at the training center, he introduced himself to everyone. You might think these are little things everyone does, but that’s not always the case. »
Compared to Tim Duncan for personality
For Sean Marks, Bridges is both a leader and a glue guy, and that’s very rare. “He’s almost a glue guy, whereas usually it’s players who don’t play a lot, but who bring all these little things, while he also bears this load. »
For Monty Williams, his talent on the pitch and his ability to federate remind him of a prestigious teammate. One of the best players in history. “It’s his Tim Duncan side” Judge Williams. “Tim was like that. He was the best player in the team, but he was linked to everyone. One of Tim’s qualities was that he never felt in a position where he was above anything. Whatever the team did, he did. If everyone was being directed by the coach, Tim was being directed. And this is the case of Mikal. It does everything it’s supposed to do and more, and I think it’s appreciated by the whole franchise. »
What Harris confirms: “Given his level of play, he has earned the right to be in this position. I’ve been in the NBA for nine years and I’ve had a lot of teammates and a lot of people come through here. He’s the kind of person you want to have by your side. When your best player, or the person you want to promote as a role model in the franchise, has that type of personality, it makes life a lot easier and better for everyone involved.”
