Watching the New York Knicks advance to a first NBA Finals this century is a bittersweet experience for the Phoenix Suns. They surely wish it was them heading to the championship round instead, although their own beef with the Knicks is minimal given the geographical gap between both franchises.
Mikal Bridges is getting another opportunity to win a ring, and that is a fact the Suns can get behind as one of their most beloved former players (and Landry Shamet) gives them a real reason to be interested in the series.
Bridges was always going to be the Sun to make it back to the finals firstÂ
Looking at that roster from 2021, and in hindsight Bridges was the obvious choice to again appear in the NBA Finals. Many fans would have predicted it would be Devin Booker in this position, but from the moment the Suns traded for Kevin Durant that was never going to happen.
Unlike Bridges, Booker was always going to have to be the best player on a roster that made it back, whereas Bridges has the kind of co-star skills that were the reason he was traded for Durant in the first place. He is not a superstar, rather one of the best two-way players in the league and who the Knicks overpaid for so as to be in the position they find themselves in now.
Chris Paul is another who you would not have bet against going back after 2021, but even then he was in the later stages of his career and the choice of teams he played for after being in Phoenix meant it was never going to happen. Paul on the San Antonio Spurs was surely great for Victor Wembanyama’s development, but it came two years before that team was ready to contend.
Ironically Deandre Ayton was the other candidate here as he was bought out by the Portland Trail Blazers and could have landed anywhere given many contender’s lack of depth at the center position. If Luka Doncic hadn’t gotten injured, perhaps he could be on the way to the finals himself.
Cameron Johnson is another who in theory had a shot given he plays alongside Nikola Jokic, but the Denver Nuggets just endured a down year. This whole exercise also highlights the double-edged sword of being a superstar that Booker has to endure as well.
The franchise is unlikely to ever trade him away and he has to be at worst the second best player on his own roster if he wants to contend. Bridges never had to worry about that, his complimentary skills next to Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns meaning he has been overqualified for the position he finds himself in with New York since arriving.
So break that Bridges jersey out one more time, and get behind him. Or you know, cheer for Landry Shamet instead if you’d like.
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