NEW YORK — Brooklyn Nets ahead Mikal Bridges is on the verge of finishing a statistically excellent season that makes analytics pushers shudder and teammates smile suddenly.
Bridges, who began the 2022-23 NBA season with the Phoenix Suns earlier than a midseason commerce to the Nets, is on monitor to play 83 video games this common season, which might make him the primary participant to take action since Josh Smith in 2014-15 (Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets). It’s an exceedingly uncommon accomplishment given the very fact every workforce has solely 82 video games scheduled in a season, and doing so would require a participant to be traded midseason to a workforce that has performed one fewer recreation than his earlier workforce.
“He is the iron man of the NBA,” stated Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie, who spoke with reverence for his new teammate’s accomplishment.
Bridges’ streak of consistency is much more spectacular given it comes throughout a five-year NBA profession during which he hasn’t missed a recreation. The very fact he’s sturdy and has the power to common practically 20 factors a recreation is one in all many causes the Nets have been so insistent in buying Bridges in any deal for Kevin Durant throughout final month’s commerce deadline.
“You take a look at how he performs the sport,” Nets normal supervisor Sean Marks stated. “Clearly, when he was taking part in in Phoenix, even courting again to school days, the size, the reliability — he is nearing 400 video games performed in a row, it is fairly distinctive at the present time. And for any individual who really needs to play at that clip can be actually refreshing.”
Apart from a redshirt 12 months at Villanova, Bridges did not miss a recreation in school, both. The final time he missed a recreation was when he was a pupil at Nice Valley Excessive College in Malvern, Pennsylvania.
“In highschool, I could not make a recreation — I used to be sick,” Bridges stated. “Being the odd man out the following day. All of your teammates are hanging out they usually’re speaking concerning the recreation and also you simply weren’t there for it and do not actually know. It wasn’t enjoyable. However fortunately I used to be sick so I had an excuse.”
There have been 41 gamers to play 83 or extra video games in a daily season, in keeping with ESPN Stats & Info analysis, with Walt Bellamy taking part in in 88 regular-season video games for the Pistons and New York Knicks through the 1968-69 season.
The distinction, after all, is that on this period of the league, gamers are given extra relaxation than ever earlier than, given the science centered round rest and performance.
For his half, Bridges shies away from the concept he is turn out to be the face of the anti-load administration motion. NBA commissioner Adam Silver said he doesn’t “buy into” that players should simply be playing more, however the league has struggled in recent times with the narrative from followers that gamers do not worth taking part in within the common season the best way they did prior to now. In that regard, Bridges is a throwback to a distinct period as a result of teammates and opponents alike belief that he’ll be on the market every night time.
“I am not so anti about [missing games],” he stated. “Everyone has their causes. And I feel if it is cheap the place guys do not play or possibly coming off an damage or issues like that, I am going to perceive. … Everyone’s physique’s totally different, that is the most important factor. I might get kneed within the leg and be OK, however any individual else who’s physique swells up cannot transfer the following day. It is simply totally different as a result of folks do not know, they don’t seem to be right here. They are not that individual, they’re going to by no means know.”
What his teammates know is that the dependable Bridges has been essential for the Nets as they preserve maintain of the No. 6 seed within the Jap Convention and out of the play-in event.
“Availability is one of the best means,” Nets heart Nic Claxton stated. “… He is taking part in at an All-Star charge proper now, so it is good having him on the market, for certain.”
The affable Bridges simply takes all of it in stride. Taking part in 83 video games is a pleasant achievement, nevertheless it’s all a part of the job for a 26-year-old who’s coming into his personal in a league during which taking part in in all of the regular-season video games did not was such an accomplishment.
“It is simply humorous,” Bridges stated. “Out of all the blokes, me taking part in all of the video games, after all, I get an additional one. However I have been within the playoffs — I have been 82-plus for a pair years now. … It is like somewhat shaggy dog story.”