Knicks' Mike Brown expresses confidence in Mikal Bridges amid trade rumors, decreased playing time

Stefan Bondy of the New York Post noted that New York Knicks guard Mikal Bridges "is the most expendable" player on the team as it pertains to a possible trade that could allow the Knicks to spend on other talents. 

Knicks head coach Mike Brown then pulled Bridges in the third quarter of a game for the third time in seven contests during what became a 103-90 win over the Brooklyn Nets that improved the Knicks to 3-4. While speaking with reporters after his team's victory, Brown insisted that he believes Bridges will help the Knicks win games sooner rather than later. 

Is it just "a matter of time" before Mikal Bridges heats up?

"It's a matter of time, in my opinion, before Mikal gets going," Brown said, per Ian Begley of SNY.

In Monday's game at Madison Square Garden, Bridges went 1-for-7 from the field, was a -11 and was relegated to a total of 16 minutes. Meanwhile, Landry Shamet came off the bench to lead the Knicks with 22 points in 30 minutes of action. As James L. Edwards III of The Athletic shared, Jordan Clarkson emerged from the bench in the game's fourth quarter and scored seven points. Clarkson finished the evening a +17.

Mike Brown: Mikal Bridges is "in a funk"

Thus far this season, Bridges is shooting under 31 percent from the field, well beneath his career average (48.4 percent). Following Monday's win, Brown acknowledged that Bridges is going through a rough stretch this fall. 

"He's just got to keep playing," Brown added about Bridges. "Everybody goes through those ups and downs throughout the course of the season, and obviously, it's the beginning of the season right now, so he's got to find his way. Not just with him but with everybody, when you're in a funk you gotta find one or two things to hold your hat on. Mikal is one of the best runners in the NBA. In both directions - offensively and defensively. So he's just got to try to hang his hat on that as well as his cutting and trying to do the other little things - rebounding and driving and touching the paint and spraying it. Then this shot will come eventually."

Whispers linking Bridges with other teams are seemingly destined to grow louder as Christmas approaches. For now, he'll attempt to produce a bounce-back performance when the Knicks host the 1-6 Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night.