Miles Bridges lands at number four on our list of the top 10 Phoenix Suns with the most to prove this season, a list you can check out in full here.
Fans will have complicated relationship with Bridges no matter what
It is impossible to talk about the new addition without acknowledging his off-court issues to this point, and to say we are sad the organization decided to look past them to trade for the former Charlotte Hornet would be an understatement. Not only does he have to contribute on the court from the jump, but away from the game, his behavior has to be impeccable every single day. Even that won’t be enough for many fans, and that is understandable.
Focusing on the basketball, it will be on Bridges to prove he was worth giving up a 2033 unprotected first-round pick, as well as letting both Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale go. Trading those two had to happen for cap reasons, but most fans would have expected a better return for that modest haul.
That duo helped the Suns win 45 games and make the playoffs last time out, so that becomes the floor that Bridges has to meet to be deemed a success.
The power forward also has to prove he can play alongside Dillon Brooks, Devin Booker, Jalen Green, and Mark Williams, which looks like a cramped starting five. There is some overlap between what Bridges and Brooks can do, although the former is a bigger body (and a less enthusiastic defender). He can score in bunches, but so can Booker and Bridges, while Brooks just averaged a career-high 20.2 points last time out and looked like an All-Star.
Doing less will equal more for Bridges in Phoenix
If Bridges can prove he will sacrifice personal numbers and shots in pursuit of helping the Suns win more games, he will succeed. Head Coach Jordan Ott can also play him with the bench for periods of the game to allow him to take on more of the offensive load and keep him engaged.
The path to success is harder for Bridges than for any other player in Phoenix this season, but that is his own doing. All he has to do is not ruin the team chemistry created last season, coexist with four starters despite clear fit issues, do less while also contributing more, and be a role model away from the court.
Easy, right?
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