Mikal Bridges completely flipped the script on his Knicks season

NEW ORLEANS — There were already a few low moments for Mikal Bridges in his Knicks career.

He could barely hit a 3-pointer in preseason, for instance.

His revamped shooting form was awkward, mocked and involved a hitch.

Nerves were speculated as the cause.

Or worse, the yips. 

But the bottom probably was Nov. 29 in Charlotte.

Amid his worst performance yet, Bridges was benched in the fourth quarter of a close victory.

Critiques over his trade cost — five first-round picks! — grew louder Quietly and briefly in the locker room that evening, Bridges acknowledged to The Post, “I got to play better.” 

And he immediately did. 

Since that ugly night in Charlotte, Bridges is leading the Knicks in total points while shooting 58 percent overall and 43.1 percent on 3s.

His net rating during this eight-game stretch is a plus-21, the best on the team. 

Meanwhile, no player in the NBA has logged more minutes or traveled more miles on the court than Bridges this season.

He absorbed an early onslaught of criticism and, at least through the first three weeks of December, flipped it around. 

“Once he started making shots, nobody said nothing [about his revamped shooting form]. Nobody is talking about how it looks now,” Cam Payne said. “So he just be locked in, man. He’s pretty good with stuff like that man. I actually applaud him for it. Because you could easily get distracted with that or get messed up in the head with it.” 

A lot has been made of the Villanova connection but it became clear early that Bridges’ best locker-room companion was Payne. 

No matter the city, their stalls are side by side.

They dance together during warm-ups and celebrations. They banter.

They create elaborate handshakes.

Without Bridges on the roster, Payne wouldn’t be a Knick. 

The relationship was forged during their four seasons as teammates in Phoenix.

Back then, Bridges was a defensive-minded role player and the third scorer behind Devin Booker and Chris Paul.

He fit seamlessly and effectively on a squad that fell two wins short of the championship. 

In Brooklyn, Bridges became the No. 1 option and mostly floundered but also developed his playmaking.

He joined the Knicks as the clear No. 3 — first behind Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle, then behind Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns — but the hope, and the reality of December, is he incorporates both versions of his NBA self. 

“I try to play to be a mix,” Bridges said. “That’s the biggest thing. I think that’s a big reason I was traded here — is to be able to do both.” 

Payne agreed Bridges has been a hybrid. 

“Probably say the beginning of the year, he had that Brooklyn Kal. I feel like he’s getting back to that Phoenix Kal a little bit,” Payne said. “But honestly, he’s been different ever since he left Phoenix, in a good way. I feel like his offensive game is starting to come around, be more complete. I think the Brooklyn game helped with that.” 

Offensively, the lone critique is Bridges still isn’t getting to the foul line — averaging fewer than one attempt per game for the season — but there’s a reason he’s never missed a game.

Banging down low isn’t much part of Bridges’ strategy. 

Instead, he cuts without the ball for easy looks, he shoots midranges off the pass or dribble and knocks down open 3-pointers. 

Over the past eight games, Bridges has been better in all those areas.

He was key to locking down Thursday night’s blowout victory, holding the Timberwolves to 107 points despite Josh Hart’s absence for personal reasons. 

“You can see each game there’s more comfort. That’s probably not the right word, but he’s got a great rhythm going now,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “He understands his teammates a lot better. His teammates understand him a lot better. He’s playing a great floor game. He’s moving without the ball. He’s getting down the floor quickly in transition. 

“I think finding those shots, that’s when he’s hard to guard, when he’s moving like that.” 

Towns said the rise of Bridges in December — from benched and misfiring to unmatched reliability — was a team effort. 

“We had to be better for him. I think all of us understood the challenge and accepted the challenge and made it an emphasis to get him going,” Towns said. “He’s not just a player in this league, he’s a star in this league. He deserves to have the thought process of a star. … We found ways to get him the ball in spots that he succeeds at. He’s done an amazing job of utilizing those opportunities.”