A Knicks stars' reworked jump shot risks derailing his season

The New York Knicks look like a major threat in the Eastern Conference after making several major moves. While the Knicks look like legit contenders, a surprising development is cause for concern. Mikal Bridges was acquired from the Brooklyn Nets to pair with fellow star Jalen Brunson but Bridges' new shooting form has led to major question marks.

Bridges has been an above-average shooter over his career but has been tinkering with his shot. The main question is why break what wasn't broken and many Knicks fans are wondering the same thing.

Bridges' shot seems to have a slightly higher release point than it previously did when he was a member of the Phoenix Suns and with the Nets. If he shot better in preseason, then it wouldn't have gotten nearly as much attention, but he has shot the ball with a clear hitch, making it unsightly. Take a look.

Should New York Knicks fans be concerned about Mikal Bridges' new shot?

Given his track record for being a good midrange and long-range shooter, Bridges has earned the benefit of the doubt. Then again, it can take years to successfully hone a shooting form and while he has apparently been working on improving his jumper for longer than this summer, it didn't seem all that necessary.

In general, there is little precedent for a player who was once a good shooter changing his form and then turning into a bad one. Moreover, it looks as though he was partly reworking his jumper to try and get his shot off faster. Minor tweaks, like at what stage a player releases the ball, are different than fixing a broken jumper.

With any luck, Bridges will figure it out over the course of the season while still being an offensive threat. The Knicks won't need him to carry the offense with Brunson running the show and Karl-Anthony Towns as the second option but that doesn't mean that they won't need Bridges' offensive production.

They are thin in terms of depth and they will have to rely on Bridges to excel on both ends of the floor to justify giving up five first-round picks for him. Mortgaging their future on a player that has never made the all-star team may seem crazy but he isn't a traditional star and may be a perfect fit as a third option for a great team.

That, of course, assumes that Bridges' changes to his jump shot don't negatively affect his play this season.