Mikal Bridges

Mikal Bridges was perfect — for one quarter, anyway. Less than a month after he was acquired from the Phoenix Suns in the Kevin Durant trade, the Brooklyn Nets’ new leading man showed again that he’s more than capable of being the top offensive option on an NBA team. Bridges torched the Charlotte Hornets during a scintillating first quarter, capping off the dazzling frame with a strong drive to his left that he finished with a tough baseline fadeaway. Bridges completed the period having gone 9-for-9 for 19 points and ultimately scored a game-high 33 points to go with eight rebounds in Brooklyn’s 102-86 win on March 5, 2023.