OG Anunoby suffered a left hamstring injury in the first five minutes of the New York Knicks’ matchup against the Miami Heat on November 14. Anunoby was ruled out and was scheduled to be out for a few weeks. The Knicks were now without their best perimeter defender and many believe him to be New York’s third-best player.
Luckily for New York, they have another wing who is easily able to replace Anunoby in Mikal Bridges.
defensive versatility
Bridges is a 6-foot-6 shooting guard who is also capable of playing the small forward position. He has a long frame and good stability to guard positions one through five. Typically he guards the opposing team’s second-best player, while Anunoby’s job is usually to be the top scorer. But with Anunoby out, Bridges has accepted that assignment of protecting the opposition’s top scoring player and has done a great job so far.
Bridges is able to guard multiple positions with ease ranging from big-sized wings, versatile stretch picks and shifty guards. Bridges ranks in the top 15 in minutes per game, but he is able to maintain an elite level of defense in all four quarters of the game. With his best point-of-attack defender and best isolation defender, Bridges has tackled this task impeccably
Work
Whether it was guarding the Heat’s Norman Powell, the Charlotte Hornets’ LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges, or the Brooklyn Nets’ Michael Porter Jr., Bridges dominated and proved that he is the best defensive player on the court. Despite facing the toughest defensive assignments on a nightly basis, Bridges is still able to play a major role in the Knicks’ quick fire attack.
Since Anunoby has been out with his injury, Bridges has been in a two-way situation, proving that he is one of the better two-way players in the league. Bridges is averaging 17.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and four assists on 53% from the field and 34.4% from three.
Eye-opening defensive stats
LMAO look at these two defensive plays from Mikal Bridges
1) Leaps out of the passing lane for easy steals
2) Tries it again but misses, somehow recovers for the blockHe is playing the best basketball of his career on both ends of the court this seasonpic.twitter.com/2HDPboZqRa
– The Strickland (@TheStrickland) 25 November 2025
His three-point shooting consistency has decreased a bit since Anunoby went down, and many will speculate that this is due to all the energy he puts into shutting down the opposing team’s first option. On the defensive end, Bridges is putting up eye-opening stats that definitely deserve more recognition.
Since November 14, Bridges is averaging 3.2 steals a game, while adding an impressive two blocks per contest. Bridges has always been a good defender in the NBA, but his true ability on the defensive side has been on display these past few games.
Great sequence from Mikal Bridges.
Stops out of the paint and rejects the 3PT attempt.
Then blocks the shot in the paint and moves the ball to the JB.
Then sprints across the floor for a layup (great feed from TK). pic.twitter.com/YJ5ICeNXsg
– Tommy Bear (@TommyBear) 27 November 2025
Some masterclass performances on the defensive side of the ball included a seven-steal performance against the Heat, in which Bridges added two blocks. Another surprising performance was a four-block performance in another game against the Heat. Bridges also recorded three-steal, two-block performances against the Charlotte Hornets and Dallas Mavericks. Since Anunoby’s injury, Bridges has had at least a block and a steal in every game, with multiple of both in four of the six games.
Potentially the best defensive duo?
Although Jalen Brunson is the anchor and leader of the team’s offense, Bridges has won that honor on the defensive end. With the Knicks taking a cautious approach to Anunoby’s recovery, Bridges’ performance made it even more clear that there is no need to rush Anunoby’s return.
With Anunoby being re-evaluated in December, it will be interesting to see if Bridges can continue this defensive consistency. When the Knicks get Anunoby back, it can be safe to say that the Knicks have the best defensive duo in the league. It is possible that when the time comes, the rest of the players in the league will start feeling bad.
Make sure you bookmark Nix on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, movie breakdowns, and more!
<a href=