Jalen Brunson Comes to the Defense of Mikal Bridges After Slow Start

This season, the New York Knicks have had their ups and downs, but they’ve been able to win games consistently as of late, winning six of their last eight games. 

New York started out slow but found their footing, yet they have one player on the roster who has not. Mikal Bridges is off to a slow start to the 2026-2027 regular season. 

He’s averaging just 5.9 points per game, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists and is shooting 32.9 percent from the field. He has been the one player from the championship roster who has yet to hit a groove in the regular season, but internally, the Knicks feel just fine with him on the roster. 

Knicks guard Jalen Brunson came to Bridges’s defense after he was asked about the slow start he’s on, and he assured everyone that his work ethic is what can help him turn things around. 

"No matter what's going on with what people are saying, the people in this room have his back night in and night out,” Brunson said. 

“We see the work he puts into his game. That's our brother, we're going to keep it that way.”

Brunson and Bridges have a tight connection that dates back to their days at Villanova, where they won a national championship together. 

Jalen Brunson has a lot of reasons to come to the defense of Mikal Bridges, considering how good he was during the Knicks' championship run this past summer. Bridges was an efficient shooter and was another weapon on New York’s offense.  

He’s a player who has seen cold stretches like this before, and there is a chance he could get out of it again. When this Knicks team has Mikal Bridges playing at his best, it has opened things up for the rest of the roster. 

New York’s perimeter defense is better when Bridges is playing well, and they’re also better at spacing the floor. His presence on both ends of the floor makes this a stronger Knicks team. 

Overall, Mike Brown and this coaching staff may have to be patient with Mikal Bridges. He’s been in these situations before, and he’s a key part of New York’s locker room. 

The front office could consider trading him, but that could be something that would hinder the chemistry of the Knicks. It will be interesting to see what kind of adjustments are made as this team deals with Bridges’ struggles.