The Nets have won three straight after looking poised for a freefall following the departures of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, and one of the returns from those blockbuster trades is a big reason why.
Mikal Bridges is looking like a star in the making, as he has begun his Brooklyn tenure unlike any other Nets newcomer in franchise history.
After finishing Tuesday night's win over the Rockets with 30 points and five assists, Bridges has pushed his scoring average since joining the Nets to 26.5 points per game, while shooting 52.6 percent from the floor, 48.1 percent from downtown, and 92.2 percent from the free throw line (helped along by Bridges knocking down all eight of his foul shots on Tuesday). Having now played his 10th game with the Nets, Bridges is the first player in NBA history to average over 25 points per game, over 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from deep, and 90 percent from the charity stripe in his first 10 games with a new team.
Sure, Bridges isn't Durant, and the team's goalposts have certainly been moved since the trade deadline, but Bridges is looking like the ultimate consolation prize after the franchise waved the white flag on its superteam era, and the 26-year-old could soon blossom into a star himself.
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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