Mikal Bridges Talks About Adjusting to New Minutes Usage and Playing Time

Last season, Mikal Bridges averaged the fourth-most minutes per game in the NBA. His coach, Tom Thibodeau, was actually criticized for how much he played the Knicks' starters. Some believe it was the reason for the Knicks' playoff failures. 

Now the Knicks have a new coach, and things are being run a little differently. Mikal Bridges recently spoke about the adjustments he’s had to make with his new playing time and the new coaching staff. 

"I'm so used to playing a lot, so even though I'm still playing a lot. But sometimes I might get subbed out, and I'm looking like, 'What?' So I know something's right [with my body playing fewer minutes]...Because I freak out sometimes, like, 'You're getting me [out]?' But then I'll sit down and come back in after a couple minutes or something. So it's something to get used to… But that's also about building relationship with my coaches and stuff. As a player, it's tough. You might miss a couple shots, you might mess up defensively, and you're prepping yourself to make the next play, and you might get subbed out, and you'll be questioning yourself, like coach does not [like] this and that. But sometimes you need a break, you know? So I think that's just building your relationship with the coach and building that trust to know, all right, if I'm thinking I'm struggling or I'm thinking this and that. And it's just a breather. That's building the communication, and that relationship comes a long way."

What’s funny about this quote is that Bridges isn’t playing that much less than he did last year. Last season, he was averaging 37 minutes a game, and this year, he is averaging 35.3 minutes per game. Still, Bridges is feeling the difference.

Instead of letting those extra few minutes on the bench build resentment between him and his coaches, he’s using it as a way to build his relationship and communication with the new staff.