Mikal Bridges has one of the NBA’s most grueling jobs. He spends the entirety of each game harassing the opponent’s primary threat, then somehow musters enough energy to hunt for his own opportunities on the other end. Several players around the league are tasked with a similar role, but none inhabit it more intuitively than Bridges. Six weeks into his third season, every good team in the league wishes it could clone him.
A good example of why came during a recent Suns win against the Warriors. Bridges spent the evening picking Steph Curry up full court, tracing the two-time MVP’s flight path on the weak side, battling over ball screens and yelling at teammates to step up and/or switch whenever he needed help.