Mikal Bridges discussion, news and highlights

[Ghost of Kleine]

Mike Vigil (@protectedpick) Tweeted:
Mikal Bridges averages last 8 games:

20.4 points, 5.1 rebs, 2.8 ast, 0.8 tos

61/35/92 shooting splits.

Second on the Suns in scoring during that stretch. 7-1 record.

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[lilfishi22]

The guy has been on an absolute tear recently. Before the last 8 games, he was barely averaging 12ppg and with the recent scoring run, he's back over 13ppg. Not much but it just goes to show how much he had in the tank that he didn't really bring out. During the preseason, I thought he'd be in that 16-18ppg mark and be our 3rd leading scorer. I hope he continues being aggressive because we really need him to be that 3rd guy

[Ghost of Kleine]

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[Ghost of Kleine]

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[lilfishi22]

I put a little bit of money on Bridges. Even though he's #2 on the ladder, I think when guys like Draymond gets healthy, he'll be right in there with Gobert and Giannis as the top picks. Hard to see Bridges win it

[suns12345]

I put a little bit of money on Bridges. Even though he's #2 on the ladder, I think when guys like Draymond gets healthy, he'll be right in there with Gobert and Giannis as the top picks. Hard to see Bridges win it

Yeh I thought about putting money on it, I just don't see him winning it though. It's too easy giving it to a guy averaging 2.5 blocks which is easy to measure vs holding letting an elite guard score 30 on him but making it damn tough. There are too many casual media folk who get to vote.

That said, Draymond has missed a few games so could be out of the race.

[suns12345]

I put a little bit of money on Bridges. Even though he's #2 on the ladder, I think when guys like Draymond gets healthy, he'll be right in there with Gobert and Giannis as the top picks. Hard to see Bridges win it

Yeh I thought about putting money on it, I just don't see him winning it though. It's too easy giving it to a guy averaging 2.5 blocks which is easy to measure vs holding letting an elite guard score 30 on him but making it damn tough. There are too many casual media folk who get to vote.

That said, Draymond has missed a few games so could be out of the race.

Edit- i just put a fiver on him lol, for fun and in solidarity with fish

[lilfishi22]

I put a little bit of money on Bridges. Even though he's #2 on the ladder, I think when guys like Draymond gets healthy, he'll be right in there with Gobert and Giannis as the top picks. Hard to see Bridges win it

Yeh I thought about putting money on it, I just don't see him winning it though. It's too easy giving it to a guy averaging 2.5 blocks which is easy to measure vs holding letting an elite guard score 30 on him but making it damn tough. There are too many casual media folk who get to vote.

That said, Draymond has missed a few games so could be out of the race.

I threw in $20 just for fun. DPOY award is almost always a big, almost always a player who is the best defender/most important on their team and has already been recognised with an all-NBA defensive team selection. The issue with Bridges is 1. he's a wing, 2. he's not clearly the best or the most important defender on the team and he's annoyingly never been selected to an all-defensive team.

After this season, I think he should be getting an all-defensive team nod and some recognition on the DPOY voting but he won't win it. However this does lay the groundworks for lifting his profile and make him a perennial candidate going forward

[Ghost of Kleine]

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[Ghost of Kleine]

Cage (@ridiculouscage) Tweeted:
@mikal_bridges https://t.co/EoDvvCV4Nz

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[lilfishi22]

Cage (@ridiculouscage) Tweeted:
@mikal_bridges https://t.co/EoDvvCV4Nz

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This needs to go multiversal

[Ghost of Kleine]

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[Ghost of Kleine]

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Kwahi Leonard 2.0?

[cberry78]

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Kwahi Leonard 2.0?

Kwahi's not nearly the defender that Mikal is.

[lilfishi22]

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Kwahi Leonard 2.0?

Everyone knows Bridges is probably my favourite player on the team but at this point in his career, I don't care about his ultra efficiency. What I care about now and going forward is is scoring. He has opportunity, he has the greenlight (I believe), he has a great go-to move and he just has to get out there and do it. Over the past 15games he's been on a pretty amazing scoring run (18ppg) but I need him to continue to attack. He can't have single digit FGA's. That's too few for someone as efficient as he is.

[bwgood77]

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Kwahi Leonard 2.0?

That's unbelievable efficiency.

I've always believed he could do a lot more with more offensive opportunities like a poor man's Kawhi or close to Paul George.

I think he's the type that could become the most important player on a contender..think of a guy like Kawhi or Green or something. I don't think he's just 3&D. He can be a great passer, has elite efficiency, can score from anywhere and is elite defensively. They have always more utilized him as a glue guy.

I have wondered what our team would look like or play like if Booker was missing and it was Paul/Bridges/Cam/Crowder/Ayton.

Now obviously Crowder's still the weak link and obviously anyone would rather have Book but just from the standpoint of distribution of Booker's 20+ shots to Ayton, MIkal and Cam...with CP3 leading the charge. If Bridges, Ayton and Cam got 15 shots each, given their efficiency, it feels like we would really blow people out. I guess the main thing missing would be the elite clutch play we have seen from Book this season, though CP3 was up there too in clutch stats...and others would maybe be up there as well if they took more late shots.

I think they can still be good with Payne. It will be interesting to see us play a good team with Payne if Book is still out. It would be nice to see it with Cam starting instead of Shamet but we would end up seeing Cam with the lineup more anyway I imagine to close out the game if it's close and be the first sub, maybe close out first half.

[lilfishi22]

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Kwahi Leonard 2.0?

That's unbelievable efficiency.

I've always believed he could do a lot more with more offensive opportunities like a poor man's Kawhi or close to Paul George.

I think he's the type that could become the most important player on a contender..think of a guy like Kawhi or Green or something. I don't think he's just 3&D. He can be a great passer, has elite efficiency, can score from anywhere and is elite defensively. They have always more utilized him as a glue guy.

I have wondered what our team would look like or play like if Booker was missing and it was Paul/Bridges/Cam/Crowder/Ayton.

Now obviously Crowder's still the weak link and obviously anyone would rather have Book but just from the standpoint of distribution of Booker's 20+ shots to Ayton, MIkal and Cam...with CP3 leading the charge. If Bridges, Ayton and Cam got 15 shots each, given their efficiency, it feels like we would really blow people out. I guess the main thing missing would be the elite clutch play we have seen from Book this season, though CP3 was up there too in clutch stats...and others would maybe be up there as well if they took more late shots.

I think they can still be good with Payne. It will be interesting to see us play a good team with Payne if Book is still out. It would be nice to see it with Cam starting instead of Shamet but we would end up seeing Cam with the lineup more anyway I imagine to close out the game if it's close and be the first sub, maybe close out first half.

Between the couple of playoff games without CP3 and CamJo starting in a bakers dozen worth of games this season, we're starting to see what the post-CP3 era Suns could look like and I am becoming more confident in that vision. We're 2-2 in the last couple of games but you could see how even a PG of Cam caliber can really push this team. Bring back Book and replace Crowder with CamJo and that's a young, dynamic, long, athletic, well rounded and high IQ starting unit. While I'm not saying we don't need a PGOTF, this line up kinda shows that it's possible to have like a Jalen Brunson, Cam Payne type of PG who isn't necessarily looking to dominate each possession but provides that pressure release for the main guys. With Cam and Bridges' development on offense as well, I think we're looking good.

The only issue with this going forward would be the cost of this roster. In two year's time assuming CP3 is now gone and assuming Ayton gets close to max ($30m), Cam at around Mikal's salary ($22.5), Booker at $36m (with a new deal coming), Bridges at $22.5m and Payne at $6.5m, you're already at around $115-120m. With Booker's new looking at around 35% of the cap should he make an all-NBA team (I'd say likely), that's going to get us close to the LT with this starting line up.

[Saberestar]

Mikal Bridges on a $90M/4 years contract is an steal for the Suns. He secured the bag and we avoided to pay him much more this summer.

At the moment of the extension some people were saying that James Jones overpaid for a 3&D guy...no way.

[phx#7]

Mikal Bridges on a $90M/4 years contract is an steal for the Suns. He secured the bag and we avoided to pay him much more this summer.

At the moment of the extension some people were saying that James Jones overpaid for a 3&D guy...no way.

James Jones signs team friendly deals. Either getting people to take less than market value. Or he keeps team control by limiting guarantees in later years.

Obviously Ayton wasn't going to do either which is why he wasn't extended. It will be interesting to see what happens when it's Booker's time.

[RunDogGun]

Mikal Bridges on a $90M/4 years contract is an steal for the Suns. He secured the bag and we avoided to pay him much more this summer.

At the moment of the extension some people were saying that James Jones overpaid for a 3&D guy...no way.

James Jones signs team friendly deals. Either getting people to take less than market value. Or he keeps team control by limiting guarantees in later years.

Obviously Ayton wasn't going to do either which is why he wasn't extended. It will be interesting to see what happens when it's Booker's time.

To me it depends on how smart Booker is. Does he want the money for himself, or does he want a solid team around him, which will cost money.