2025 NBA Offseason News

[TOO]

Well, it's not 30%, its 20%. Mikal is a top-level 2-way wing that never takes a game off. He's worth it.

He's not even the best 2 way wing on his own team. I loved Mikal in Phoenix, but that defense is gone.

He makes less than OG too

Would be ok if he were still defending at an elite level, he is not. His defense rating over the last 2 years is 118.

[TOO]

No way I'm paying this dude that money.

[carey]

Why has his defense fallen off so much? He's only 28.

[Split T]

Well, it's not 30%, its 20%. Mikal is a top-level 2-way wing that never takes a game off. He's worth it.

He's not even the best 2 way wing on his own team. I loved Mikal in Phoenix, but that defense is gone.

He makes less than OG too

Would be ok if he were still defending at an elite level, he is not. His defense rating over the last 2 years is 118.

Defensive rating is a team stat, not an individual one…but yes his defense has dropped a bit…

[Split T]

I’ll say this…he’s a lot better than Jalen Green for the same price.

[TOO]

Well, it's not 30%, its 20%. Mikal is a top-level 2-way wing that never takes a game off. He's worth it.

He's not even the best 2 way wing on his own team. I loved Mikal in Phoenix, but that defense is gone.

He makes less than OG too

Would be ok if he were still defending at an elite level, he is not. His defense rating over the last 2 years is 118.

Defensive rating is a team stat, not an individual one…but yes his defense has dropped a bit…

Bro, he's a cone now.

[TOO]

I’ll say this…he’s a lot better than Jalen Green for the same price.

17ppg and regressing defense or 21ppg and improving defense.

This is crazy to me. Lol.

Jalen Green’s defensive improvement is more than just hot streak: The IkoSystem - The Athletic https://share.google/XuyESzv21UxjIjRyo

[carey]

Green is on 3 yr @ $35M yr. Mikal is 4 yr @ 37.5 a year. I think that extra year makes a little difference but I understand your point.

[BigLewy]

I feel like Bridges is going to age in dog years and is already past his prime. While the iron man streak is commendable, that is a LOT of games played, with some deep playoff runs too. Nevermind almost always being a league leader in minutes played...I think the end of that deal is going to be awful.

[Split T]

I’ll say this…he’s a lot better than Jalen Green for the same price.

17ppg and regressing defense or 21ppg and improving defense.

This is crazy to me. Lol.

Jalen Green’s defensive improvement is more than just hot streak: The IkoSystem - The Athletic https://share.google/XuyESzv21UxjIjRyo

Did you watch Green in the playoffs last year? Mikal won the Knicks a few games in the playoffs with his defense…and that 17 ppg comes on much better efficiency.

[Split T]

Green is on 3 yr @ $35M yr. Mikal is 4 yr @ 37.5 a year. I think that extra year makes a little difference but I understand your point.

They both are 33 million next year which is what I was mostly referring to.

[TOO]

I’ll say this…he’s a lot better than Jalen Green for the same price.

17ppg and regressing defense or 21ppg and improving defense.

This is crazy to me. Lol.

Jalen Green’s defensive improvement is more than just hot streak: The IkoSystem - The Athletic https://share.google/XuyESzv21UxjIjRyo

Did you watch Green in the playoffs last year? Mikal won the Knicks a few games in the playoffs with his defense…and that 17 ppg comes on much better efficiency.

Bridges put 15ppg on 45/33 from the field. Miss me. Green was the Rockets only real offensive threat which obviously gets amplified in the playoffs. We know Green wasn't good, Green acknowledged it himself, but Bridges has been bad for 2 going on 3 years now.

Bridges has aged like milk since he left.

[Split T]

He’s just a very different player. He didn’t give us any on ball offense at all until the last month of his suns tenure. His scoring and offensive workload has gone way up since leaving. Yes the defense hasn’t been as good, but the offense is definitely better.

And the point is it’s better than Green. I don’t know how anyone can even argue that. It’s not particularly close. Mikal has been better.

[TOO]

Not sure how you can say a 4th wheel is better offensively than a guy who was the only real threat on a 2nd seed in the West. Bridges isn't carrying an offense anywhere, he has a nice little run for a few games in Brooklyn a few years ago, but he's obviously not that guy. Grayson Allen is a better shooter than Bridges guess he must be a better offensive player than Bridges.

[Split T]

Not sure how you can say a 4th wheel is better offensively than a guy who was the only real threat on a 2nd seed in the West. Bridges isn't carrying an offense anywhere, he has a nice little run for a few games in Brooklyn a few years ago, but he's obviously not that guy. Grayson Allen is a better shooter than Bridges guess he must be a better offensive player than Bridges.

Bridges .585 TS% on 14+ attempts. Green .545 TS% on 17 attempts. Yes Green was the #1 option on Houston, but he was a bad one. He was 4th on the team in scoring in the playoffs.

Also the on/off numbers show Bridges has a substantial positive impact on offense. The rockets actually played better offensively with Green on the bench. Their defense was significantly better.

Green is a -7 on/off and Bridges was a +6.

[TOO]

Doesn't like defensive rating but uses on off stats? Welp.

And yes Bridges is a better stand there and take a shot guy, Green has never had that chance.

Also one is 23 and the other is 28 making the same money. One will still improve, while the other is a on the backside already.

[Split T]

Doesn't like defensive rating but uses on off stats? Welp.

And yes Bridges is a better stand there and take a shot guy, Green has never had that chance.

Also one is 23 and the other is 28 making the same money. One will still improve, while the other is a on the backside already.

The creators of defensive rating even say it’s not good for individuals. On/off has its faults, but defensive rating has zero value as an individual stat.

And I think you’re just shifting the argument now. I think Mikal is better right now, but sure, it is possible Green is better in the future, but that requires a slide that I don’t actually believe is happening for Mikal and a leap from Green that he’s shown no indication is coming. Green has been essentially the exact same player for 4 years. I hope he is better too, but I think you’re lying to yourself if you think the suns would say no to a Green for Mikal swap…the Knicks would hang up.

[TOO]

Doesn't like defensive rating but uses on off stats? Welp.

And yes Bridges is a better stand there and take a shot guy, Green has never had that chance.

Also one is 23 and the other is 28 making the same money. One will still improve, while the other is a on the backside already.

The creators of defensive rating even say it’s not good for individuals. On/off has its faults, but defensive rating has zero value as an individual stat.

And I think you’re just shifting the argument now. I think Mikal is better right now, but sure, it is possible Green is better in the future, but that requires a slide that I don’t actually believe is happening for Mikal and a leap from Green that he’s shown no indication is coming. Green has been essentially the exact same player for 4 years. I hope he is better too, but I think you’re lying to yourself if you think the suns would say no to a Green for Mikal swap…the Knicks would hang up.

I would not make that deal. Th slide for Bridges is already upon us. He's been a bad defender since he was traded.

[Flagrant Fowl]

Don’t mind if I butt in. Killing time waiting to board a flight…

I think they’re very close to each other in the current total player ranking, but each can be more or less valuable depending on the needs of their team. Mikal is more valuable to the Knicks than he would be the Suns, and the opposite is true of Jalen.

Stripping that away, I think Jalen is the more desirable player for a lot of teams primarily due to his age. Jalen will be 23 years old entering this season, his fourth in the league. Mikal was in his second season as a 23 year old and didn’t really come into his own as an NBA player until his fourth season as a 25 year old. There’s a lot more untapped potential with Jalen than Mikal and Mikal’s production is more “stable” at this point.

[TOO]

A fair and measured take.