Knicks Wing Could Finally Make All-Star Team

The New York Knicks occupy one of the comfier positions in the NBA this season. They don't necessarily have it easy, having already lost a few major pieces to potentially-lingering injuries in Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson, but they hold a fairly secure position atop the Eastern Conference.

Plenty of fans have voiced some doubts over New York's odds of matching of out-doing last year's surprise run to the conference finals, but their shorthanded rotation warded off the Cleveland Cavaliers in the season opener to start the season off with a much-needed win over one of the Knicks' more relentless recent foils. Things may not blow up in the Knicks face like so many New Yorkers have grown accustomed to, opening up an opportunity for one of their core pieces.

Mikal Bridges could greatly benefit from a quiet year of steady production, having buckled under last season's expectations. The big-name trade asset required a hefty bag of goods to bring him to the Knicks, but his history as a defensive pest and a growing on-ball scorer seemed like a positive pairing for a team looking to forge a more well-rounded scoring scheme.

Bridges Needs a Bounce-Back

Last season did not go his way as he struggled to locate a fit on Tom Thibodeau's squad, and it showed in his bucket-generation providing little overall impact while the defense lacked. Now that he's settled in, though, he could feasibly crack this season's Eastern All-Star roster on arguably the conference's best team.

"Mikal Bridges is going to have a great season under Brown," SNY's Ian Begley wrote. "He is more comfortable after spending a full year with the Knicks, and Brown has been effusive of his praise of Bridges on both ends of the floor. I think Bridges will be a star in his role this year and his defense will be a pivotal part of so many regular season wins. If he can knock down threes at a better clip than last year and get to the free throw line more often, his scoring should jump."