This is the Mikal Bridges the Knicks traded 5 picks for

Maybe the Knicks didn’t need another superstar after all.

Maybe they just needed the finishing piece to become exactly who they envisioned under playoff pressure.

“‘Kal is one of those guys,” Josh Hart said after the Game 3 victory. “I never worry about him because he’s going to bring it every game.”

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Hart has probably said some version of that sentence all season.

He understands the questions. Bridges averaged 14.4 points per game this year under Brown, whose uptempo offense was expected to unlock the wing more than perhaps anyone else on the roster.

And whether Bridges shot 0-for-6 against the Lakers in March or turned in a playoff gem in Philadelphia, Hart’s answer never changed.

The Knicks know what they have.

One of the league’s best two-way wings. A player capable of guarding elite scorers for 40-plus minutes while still delivering timely offense. A player sturdy enough to survive the pressure that comes with being “the five-pick guy” in New York.

It takes a certain kind of player to handle that weight.

It takes a certain kind of player to never miss games dating back to high school, then still have enough left in the tank to chase Maxey around screens all night.

“Defensively, he creates havoc on and off the ball. It’s just who he is,” said Jalen Brunson. “He has an instinct that I don’t think you can really teach, but he’s definitely grown as a player every single year and we truly need that.”

Bridges is one of the most clutch defenders in the NBA. He came up with an isolation stop on Cade Cunningham in crunch time to eliminate the Pistons in Game 6 of their first-round series last season. In the second round, he came up with a buzzer-beating steal on Jaylen Brown to cement a 20-point comeback in Game 1. He made huge plays against Maxey in crunch time on Friday to keep a desperate Sixers team winless in three second-round tries.

“I would take it a step further. There’s a ton of stuff that I would argue people don’t see that he does throughout the course of the game that’s far more important than just a couple of the big plays and coming up with a loose ball down the stretch,” said Landry Shamet. “He does that for 48 minutes. So does his level go up and does he show up in big moments? Absolutely, but I would argue that he’s the type of guy that does that for all 48 and finds a way to do it every night.”

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Brown remembers scouting Bridges as head coach in Sacramento and while serving on Steve Kerr’s staff with the Golden State Warriors. The first thing that stood out was the conditioning.

“He runs like a deer,” Brown said after Saturday’s film session. “His gait is beautiful, which makes him fast and it doesn’t even look like it.”

Karl-Anthony Towns remembers the battles against Bridges from his Minnesota days playing against the Phoenix Suns. Like Brown, he points to the physical tools first: 6-6 with a 7-1 wingspan and endless stamina.

“I think that he’s always been athletic, he’s always been talented. I think what’s better is just to see the experience kicking in for him,” Towns said. “He’s using that experience to help us and help himself. It’s great to see that his career has helped make him the best version of himself right now, today.”

Like Hart, Brunson never wavered either. The two have been in the trenches together and won NCAA titles in 2016 and 2018. He’s seen Bridges grow, with his work ethic, his professionalism.

“Obviously he’s played an unlimited amount of games in a row,” said Brunson. “And that’s just a testament to who he is.”

It is who he is: reliable, even when his jumper isn’t falling. And the Knicks need Mr. Reliable now more than ever, especially if Anunoby’s hamstring injury lingers deeper into the postseason.

Better late than never. He might not be there when you call him, but Bridges is right on time for what the Knicks hope is an NBA Finals run ending with a championship.

“He’s going to take each matchup personal. When he gets into that mindset and that mode he’s a heck of a player. He’s doing an amazing job,” Hart said. “[Tyrese Maxey] is a tough task, a tall order. The way [Mikal] is able to maneuver and navigate screens, do all those things, and on top of that, give us good shots, good minutes and a good quality of executing on the offensive end is great.”