The Knicks have two of the best wing defenders in the NBA in Bridges and OG Anunoby, who are the perfect combination to stop a team’s best perimeter players. Anunoby was a force on defense when he was traded to New York last season, averaging 1.7 steals and one block in 23 regular season games with them. In that same sample, he had a ridiculous plus-minus of +353.
Anunoby missed a lot of time with injuries last season, which hurt the Knicks on both ends of the floor. If he can stay healthy this season, he’s definitely a candidate for first or second team All-Defense.
As for Bridges, he was a first team All-Defense member with the Phoenix Suns in 2022, averaging 1.2 steals per game that season. Last year with the Brooklyn Nets was a bit of a down year for him on defense, as he had to focus more on his offense since he was the team’s No. 1 option.
However, his scoring responsibility on the Knicks is significantly less, as he is the team’s third option on the floor like he was when he was in Phoenix. This will allow Bridges to focus more on his defense, and playing for coach Tom Thibodeau could maximize his defensive ceiling. It would be a safe bet to think that he will be heavily considered for an All-Defense team this year.