Mikal Bridges makes solid impression during Suns’ inconsistent trip

PHOENIX — Technically, Mikal Bridges made his NBA debut in the Suns’ opener against the Mavericks last Wednesday.

He appeared in the closing 12 seconds of the win, but his first real opportunity to perform came during the following road trip through Denver and Golden State, which saw Phoenix get blown out twice by way of uneven defensive efforts.

A stacked wing rotation will make minutes hard to come by for Bridges, the 10th overall 2018 draft pick who the Suns traded up to select. But the 22-year-old, who played three years plus a redshirt season at Villanova, could take advantage as Phoenix coach Igor Kokoskov searches for consistency from his young team that along with Bridges includes fellow rookie Deandre Ayton and second-year wing Josh Jackson.

Inserting Bridges into the rotation panned out well Saturday in a 119-91 loss against the Nuggets. He scored 10 points, hit two threes, grabbed four rebounds and added two assists plus two blocks.

“He’s a two-way player. He really competes, very smart,” Kokoskov said Tuesday. “He understands the concepts. Very well-coached, you can tell. He can help us a lot.”

Bridges’ second run didn’t go as well Monday night in a 20-point loss to the Warriors. He went 1-for-5 for five points and picked up two fouls in 16 minutes.

“I think I wasn’t there defensively and that’s on me,” Bridges said. “I got to bring that intensity when I come in.”

He wasn’t alone. Phoenix struggled with transition defense early on and got burned once Golden State’s shots started falling in a 38-point second quarter and beyond.

Kokoskov used Tuesday to rest up as the Suns prepare for LeBron James’ first visit with his Los Angeles Lakers squad on Wednesday. The head coach preached positional defense and pointed out mental breakdowns during a film session.

He said his team could play with more confidence on the defensive end.

“Every guy on this team, we all have specific jobs we’re supposed to do,” Jackson added. “We don’t do them all the time. That’s something we’re trying to figure it out.”

Bridges falls into the inconsistent category through just two games. But among so many young players and with a reputation that his age and experience make him less of a project, the opportunity to stand out appears to have arrived for him earlier than many expected considering the Suns’ wing depth.

It’s on Bridges to make a good case for more playing time in a current role that doesn’t include a lot of it.

“I’ve been through it in college as well,” Bridges said. “Redshirted and my first year didn’t play that much. I’ve been in this position before. It was awhile since I’ve been in this position so (I) kind of go back and have that mindset.”

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Kokoskov on Devin Booker expressing the need to build more chemistry with his team after the Warriors loss: “Chemistry is coming with winning. There is no one team in the world that had great chemistry losing games. I’m glad Devin mentioned it because he’s our leader, he’s our voice. That’s got to be the voice we need in the locker room and on the court. We are very quiet on the court, we’re kind of a little bit not confident enough. When an alpha is vocal, then everybody else, we just follow his lead. That’s Devin, that’s veterans, that’s Deandre (Ayton).”

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