Mikal Bridges believes the Knicks' struggles start with communication
Cleveland Cavaliers' Darius Garland, right, defends New York Knicks' Mikal Bridges, on Monday. Credit: AP/Pamela Smith
How did the Knicks let a 13-point lead disappear Monday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers?
Mikal Bridges has an idea. Bridges, the Knicks' new sharpshooter and defensive specialist, believes it comes down to communication. Two-fifths of the starting lineup — Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns — have played just three games in a Knicks uniform. The starting lineup is still getting to know each other, and he thinks some back-and-forth on the court during crunch time could help that process.
“It’s early for us, but I think we have to communicate to each other a little better,” Bridges said after the Knicks’ 110-104 loss. “I think when they were making their run, we just stayed a little silent. It’s tough.
“I think we all know it’s just a run, so we will be OK. But sometimes you have to vocalize to each other and listen — ‘Are we good?’ — and talk to each other on the court when things happen. I think we got a little quiet and they felt that and they got kind of a little loud and got a little momentum.
“It’s early. I wish you could learn from a win. But sometimes it doesn’t go like that.”
The Knicks added Bridges and Towns with the intention of contending for a title. They are now 1-2 after playing three completely different games. They were dominated by Boston in the season opener, rebounded with an easy 25-point win against a good Indiana team and then lost control of a game they could have won against Cleveland, which is now 4-0.
What will Wednesday night in Miami bring?
Tom Thibodeau would certainly like to see his team take more three-pointers. The Knicks have yet to attempt more than 30 threes in a game. Their average of 28.3 is the lowest in the league. Contrast that with Boston, which leads the league with an average of 50.3. The Celtics tied an NBA record with 29 threes on 61 attempts in the season opener against the Knicks.
“[It’s] a combination of everything. We have to generate more,” said Thibodeau, who has stated that he would like the team to attempt 40 or more per game this year. “Sometimes it’s a byproduct of deep-paint decisions. What’s the read? Obviously, you want as many layups as you can get. If there’s two on you, spread it out . . . You can’t just stare at the ball, you have to stare at the whole court. So you know if you’ve got to read the man in front of you, what’s he doing so we don’t get guys drifting up on each other.”
Towns says the team might be able to learn something from watching the Celtics.
“I’ve just got to watch tape to see how we can get more threes up,” Towns said. “Obviously, Boston has something in place that they showed that they could get 61 threes up. So there may be something there to learn from.”
Notes & quotes: Josh Hart is questionable with a lower leg contusion of his right leg. The Knicks starter suffered the injury late in Tuesday’s loss to the Cavaliers and did not finish the game.
Barbara Barker is an award-winning columnist and features writer in the sports department at Newsday. She has covered sports in New York for more than 20 years.
