As the closely fought game draws to a close, Spencer Dinwiddie, a prominent player for the Brooklyn Nets, is filled with self-assurance that he can make the crucial shot. This feeling is shared by his teammate Mikal Bridges, who took to social media to express his endorsement.
Shoot that h*e Jabari !!! https://t.co/IyTBaokMz5
— Mikal Bridges (@mikal_bridges) February 23, 2023
Bridges tweeted, “Go ahead and shoot it, [Tabari],” alluding to a viral video where an uncle energetically cheered on his nephew during his basketball match.
Since joining the Brooklyn Nets via trade, Mikal Bridges has been making a significant impact on the court.
He has averaged 25.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.0 blocks in his first three games, endearing himself to fans and especially his head coach Jacque Vaughn.
Mikal Bridges over 19.5 points vs Bulls (1.86) (365)
– On the Nets he is now the main scoring option alongside Dinwiddie and is coming off 45 points last game.
– He is over this total in 13 of his last 16 games.
– Averaging 23.4 PPG over L15 games. pic.twitter.com/fVOkZt0k2l— FADEman (@Travis_Frase) February 24, 2023
Bridges’ current usage rate of 28.7% is notably higher than the 19.2% he had during his time with the Phoenix Suns this season.
In fact, Mikal Bridges’ current usage rate is 14.7% higher than his career-high, which he set just last season. His impressive performance was highlighted by his 45-point contribution in the Nets’ victory over the Miami Heat on February 15, just before the All-Star break.
During that game, Bridges tied his season-high for shot attempts, showcasing his leadership and ability to step up in crucial moments.
Brian Lewis of the New York Post shared that Vaughn would “rather see Bridges gradually develop his game, whether via mastering the pick-and-roll, beating defenders off the dribble, stringing together offensive rebounds, or sparking the Nets in transition.”
“I did not know that. I think at the end of the day, it’s going to be a collective group trying to get us into position to be in a ball game in the fourth quarter. And like the other night, Mikal probably deserved to shoot the last ball if we needed one to be shot.”
According to Winfield, there is no centralized database that records game-winning shots, but Basketball-Reference.com does have a record of “buzzer-beating” game-winners.
Nevertheless, confidence may play a more critical role than Dinwiddie’s previous performance, even though he did not excel in this area during his time with Luka Doncic in Dallas.
