Everybody is ragging on Bridges and how he doesn't contribute offensively but he just finished a run of 5 games scoring 10+ a game. He had 11, 12, 15, 11, and 14. He came up short with 9 the next game. Would I like more? Of course but he only averaged 22 minutes a game in that stretch.
Bridges is coming along at the pace of most 2nd year players. It would be nice if he were farther along but he's not and dumping on him for not being more does nothing but highlight a part of the problem with the Suns over the last few years and that's giving up on young players far too soon. Yes, Bridges was an older draft pick but that doesn't change that he's in just his 2nd season and 1st with a real NBA level head coach. If a guy isn't ready for prime time within 20 games then it's time to move on. Most people prematurely expected him to supplant Oubre as a starter before the season started and 23-24 games into the year and apparently he's worthless because he's inconsistent.
I can't blame him for failing to stop Mills either. He had slipped and only gotten back to his feet to try and contest Mills shot. Rubio was stopped by an Aldridge screen but Mills was his man. It was a great shot by Mills but if anyone deserves blame then it should Ricky. I can't fault Bridges for trying, and failing, to cover for someone else's man. If he had been tasked with guarding Mills then I'd ask why our best perimeter defender is on Patty Mills at the end of the game. As it is, he had a split second to try and do something and couldn't.
For anyone who didn't see the play, it's queued up here at 2:10. I'm not sure what he could have done other than not slip before it happened.
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