Sample sizes aren't that small anymore.
A few bad games have lingered for Mikal Bridges, and so far he hasn't been able to snap out of it without making shots.
Even in Friday's elation and funk-filled win over the Thunder, the talented wing the Nets hope to build upon often looked lost.
Despite four turnovers, 5-of-13 (field goals), and 0-of-5 (3), Bridges shot just 37 percent in each of his last 14 games. and remains at 28%.
Through his first 22 games, the 27-year-old shot 49.2 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from 3-point range.
Perhaps the long slump is simply the result of the natural ebb and flow of the seasons, and an upswing may be ahead. That has been the consistent explanation from head coach Jacque Vaughn and Bridges, and they have yet to confirm their concerns.
“Keep shooting,” Bridges said Friday, explaining how he will bounce back from this slump. “Keep working on your game. Keep shooting. Eventually they'll go down.”
They haven't fallen far enough for Bridges, who is in his seventh year as a pro, but with the added weight of being the focal point of the offense and no true playmakers to free him up, he posted his worst batting average since his rookie season. are doing.
Bridges shrugged off his disappointment and said he had experienced similar struggles in the past.
It's doubtful his past of playing basketball without much interruption will be able to catch up with him.
On Friday, Bridges marked his 428th consecutive regular season appearance, the longest active streak in the NBA.
He has led the NBA in playing time in each of the past two seasons.
During the offseason, Bridges represented the United States in the FIBA World Cup.
Is he just tired?
Bridges' current downturn comes during a hectic schedule.
The Nets will also get three full days off before and after Thursday's game in Paris, making 14 games in 24 days.
Bridges has been well rested this season, which has helped him shoot better.
In 28 games with zero or one day off, he knocked down 42 percent of his shots from the field and 32.3 percent of his threes.
Those numbers jumped significantly to 54.1 percent from the field and 48.3 percent in the eight games played with two or more days off.
After a day off on Friday, some of the missed 3s were short, which could be a sign of fatigue.
So far, the Nets have not indicated they intend to use Bridges, but Bridges did not play beyond the first quarter, with the exception of a Dec. 27 loss to the Bucks (a game in which the rest of the bench The team was fined $100,000 along with members of the team).
There's a reason to continue to rely on Bridges to continue his winning streak and find other ways to help even when he's struggling.
He struggled offensively on Friday, but added eight rebounds, three assists and one block to finish with a plus-5 rating.
There were instances where he was sloppy with the ball, but he sprinted back after a turnover and troubled Josh Giddy on fast breaks, forcing him to miss a layup.
He's performed very well, which is part of the reason he was the main returning player from the Kevin Durant trade.
The Nets are hoping to land a superstar, especially one with a lucrative contract through 2025-26, but Bridges' offensive game is trending in the wrong direction.
“At the end of this [slump]I'm confident his averages are where they should be and he's going to be an impact player, as he's been for the majority of this season,” Vaughn said recently. “It just goes through little spots where the ball doesn’t go in.”
