According to Scott Davis of The Sporting News, an anonymous scout essentially said au contraire monfrair to the idea that the Knicks will be better than in 2023-24 when speaking with ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, saying this in part:
“I’m not convinced they’ll be better,” the scout told Bontemps.
The Knicks may not have landed a superstar or a multi-time All-Star, but Bridges has proven that, given the opportunity, he can evolve into the latter as he progresses toward his prime. Despite only being in 27 games after the 2022-23 trade deadline, the Villanova product averaged 26.1 points per game on 47.5/37.6/89.4 percent field goal, three-point and free throw shooting for the Brooklyn Nets while leading them to the 2023 NBA playoffs.
Having a player with that kind of scoring potential, who finished second for the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year award, comes with huge implications. Bridges is following a career arc that some of the most influential wings have traced throughout their careers, including Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and, to a lesser extent, Jimmy Butler.
Notably, in parallel with the first two, the 27-year-old has gone from a remarkable ball-stopper to an elite three-and-d perimeter defender to now, a scorer who has the potential to be a No. 2 option on a championship team in a perfect scenario. He’ll be the Knicks’ No. 3 behind Brunson and All-Star Julius Randle, and his impact could be immeasurable.