Mikal Bridges Shares Honest Thoughts on Upcoming Knicks Home Debut

After a disappointing 132-109 loss on opening night on the road against the Boston Celtics, the New York Knicks, and especially Mikal Bridges are looking forward to trying to bounce back in the home opener at Madison Square Garden against the Indiana Pacers on Friday.

“Excited, man, really excited,” Mikal Bridges said, via Adam Zagoria of NJ Advance Media. “I mean, felt the energy in a preseason game. So just excited to go out here and get another opportunity to go get a win, and it’s gonna be real fun.”

The Knicks are facing the Pacers for the first time since being eliminated on their home court in Game 7 of the second round last season. New York brings a much different squad this year with Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns in the fold and Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo shipped to Minnesota. The new pieces are still trying to mesh together to reach the potential they believe they have. Bridges spoke on that process the Knicks are going through on and off the court.

“Focusing on building chemistry together, just every day in practice,” Bridges said, via Zagoria. “Every day when we do dinners and stuff and hanging out, especially on the road with hotels and stuff.”

Knicks looking to solve defensive woes

The Knicks showed the promise they have on the offensive side of the court in Boston. There has been concern regarding Bridges’ shot and the change in form that he has implemented. He started the game 0-5 from three, but found a bit of a rhythm in the second half, ending the game shooting 7-for-13 and 2-for-7 from three. A well-rounded offensive performance from Bridges on Friday would quell a lot of concerns.

The main problem for the Knicks was the defensive end of the floor, as they were barraged with 29 threes against the Celtics, and it seemed like Boston could get an open look from behind the arc any time it wanted. Bridges, who was also brought in to be that elite wing defender he was in the past, spoke on how the Knicks can improve on that end of the floor.

“I think it starts on ball,” Bridges said, via Zagoria. “So I think it starts with being aggressive on ball, putting pressure, coming off ball screens and from there, and then flying around and being on their toes, being right there and about to shoot. … So [it] all starts with the beginning, guys coming off the ball screen, and they generate offense like that, putting pressure on them so they don’t get easy passes, make them higher passes so teammates get a chance to get back out there.”

The Pacers are not an easy matchup for a team that is finding its way defensively, as Indiana runs a fast-paced offense that wore out the hobbled Knicks in the playoff series last season. It will be a good test to see where New York stands as the new pieces continue to build chemistry in the early going.