Scott Perry has a long association with the NBA and so has a lot of views to share on a wide range of topics.
Basketball Insiders caught up with Perry to discuss many different subjects, but his thoughts on the New York Knicks — a team he served as GM for from 2017-2023 — were particularly insightful.
Having seen both Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges in their new uniforms for over a quarter of the season, Perry felt that while the former looks understandably comfortable being from New York, Bridges seems to still be playing like Madison Square Garden is unfamiliar territory.
“It takes players time to get used to the pressure of playing in New York, in particular at home,” Perry said. “A lot of times it’s easier for the players in New York to play on the road than it is at home.
Now, Jalen Brunson, totally comfortable playing there. [OG] Anunoby has come in, he fits in well, he’s comfortable there. Josh Hart, he’s been there a couple of years, he’s comfortable in that space. That’s the next step for Bridges, just getting real comfortable playing in that venue. I’ve seen him playing on the road, his confidence looks a little different there versus at home.”
Perry felt it was a far from ideal decision for Bridges to alter his shooting mechanics stepping into the pressure cooker environment that New York can be, and that the pressure of knowing just how much the Knicks gave up to get him could be a burden, too.
“When a team trades that amount of draft capital for you, I don’t care what anybody says, that is a weight on that player’s mind — at least in the short run,” Perry said. “You’re hopeful that over time, that vacillates and moves away and that no longer is part of the thought process. But again, in that fishbowl which is New York, that messaging is always kind of at the forefront. And so we’ll see, but I believe that Mikal Bridges is wired the right way to get it figured out. And I fully expect that the consistency that he has shown at being available every night, that consistency will translate in terms of his shooting numbers improving as the season moves on.”
So far this season, Bridges is averaging 17.0 points per game but is shooting just 33.9% from beyond the arc and 65.2% at the free-throw line. He has also struggled to defend at the same level that made many view him as one of the best defenders in the league. After shooting just 29.3% from three in November, though, Bridges has made 42% of his attempts from deep so far in December.
Perry also touched on what the Towns acquisition has meant for the Knicks, and opined that while New York is capable of beating anyone because of the improved offensive dynamic, there has been a personality change defensively for the team and that end of the floor will be pivotal in determining its ultimate ceiling.
“You have to pause in terms of having a final grade on the trade until Mitchell Robinson is able to come back,” Perry said. “Let’s see if the two of them can play together, like Karl Anthony-Towns played with Rudy Gobert in Minnesota. How will they look on the court together? That will go a long way in terms of just how far this Knicks team can go in my opinion because now you add Mitchell Robinson to play alongside him and you’re going to be much stronger defensively. Mitchell is going to be able to help KAT defensively and Jalen Brunson on the defensive end much better.”
Beyond Bridges and other Knicks related topics, Perry also spoke about the potential Jimmy Butler landing spots, Kevin Durant, and Victor Wembanyama and his comments can all be found here.
Perry revealed that he would like to work for a league organization again, hopeful that something may come about in 2025.
