Mikal Bridges' Knicks tenure has been one of the more contested storylines of the New York basketball calendar. Four first-round picks went to Brooklyn for him in the summer of 2024, and the early returns were lukewarm enough that whispers about his role began to circulate this spring. According to Monica McNutt, those whispers were not just media noise.
Speaking on ESPN's GET UP on Monday morning, the Knicks radio analyst said Bridges was nearly removed from the starting lineup before Karl-Anthony Towns' offensive transformation pulled him back in.
"Karl Towns has unlocked OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, who was on the verge of being benched after game three of that series," McNutt said. "Like this is completely unlocked in a way that Mike Brown — he's coached with Draymond Green and Domantas Sabonis. But Karl Towns is a completely different offensive talent than both of those players. He's able to sort of deploy his entire playbook, and you have nobody that can guard him."
The framing of Bridges as a player one bad outing from a bench seat is striking given the cost of acquiring him. McNutt argued the shift in Mike Brown's offense — moving Towns into high-post hub duties and asking everyone else to play off the ball — has created precisely the matchup advantages the Knicks needed in the second-round dismantling of Philadelphia.
"In this new offense, yes, it's about Karl-Anthony Towns as a centerpiece, but there's also so much off-ball movement," McNutt said. "And the way that the Knicks are playing on both sides of the basketball is important to call out. They've been defending at such a high level. And if OG Anunoby is healthy, which all signs indicate he'll be ready for game one, they really could put more pressure on Cleveland defensively than Cleveland can do the other way."
Brian Windhorst piled onto Monica's point with a specific defensive read on what the Knicks can target.
"This is a series where I think James Harden can get exposed off the ball," Windhorst said. He framed the Cavs' acquisition of Harden at the deadline as a defensive downgrade that has not been fully solved through two rounds. He also identified Donovan Mitchell as a potential mismatch.
"Look, the Cavs got to keep this game within range. The Cavs have a potent offense, but they cannot win, in my opinion, an all-out arms race with the Knicks," Windhorst said. "How does the Cavs defense, which frankly is the weakest defense remaining of the four teams, how do they handle the onslaught that has been the Knicks with the basketball over the last month?"
Jay Williams kept his analysis simpler. He picked the Knicks in five and pointed to a specific Bridges-Mitchell matchup as the lever that could swing the series.
"Look at that matchup opportunity he has against Donovan Mitchell, where he's had success before because of his size and his length. It kind of makes you rethink what that trade was for. It's built for this moment right now to get to the NBA Finals," Williams said. He also leaned on a broader argument about offensive flexibility: "When you look at a series like this, how many ways can you win a game? How many ways can you shapeshift yourself into being something? We haven't even talked about Jalen Brunson ISO ball in the last 5 minutes of the game. We haven't had to see it because the Knicks have blown everybody out by 40 plus points in every game since they have shifted this offense."
The Knicks open Game 1 at home tomorrow night with a 53-year wait for an Eastern Conference title hanging in the background. Anchor Mike Greenberg framed the stakes as the only part of the conversation that needed no analysis at all.
"It could not have set up better. They get the Sixers who are coming off a seven-game war with the Celtics and absolutely no time to rest, and the Knicks had home-court advantage. And now spin it again, they get the Cavs who are coming off a seven-game battle, and they've no time to rest before game one, and the Knicks have home-court advantage. It sets up so well for the Knicks."
Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. Eastern.
