A slow start for Mikal Bridges went standstill in the New York Knicks win over the Chicago Bulls, as head coach Mike Brown benched him in the second half.

The engimatic centerpiece of a deal that featured five first-round picks finished Wednesday’s win with an empty stat line, outside of three points scored early.

Bridges’ 13 minutes played are his lowest in three seasons with the Knicks. Brown told reporters postgame it was less about Mikal and more about experimenting:

“We just found a combination we went with,” Brown told reporters. “One of the things Rick Brunson suggested was throwing [Tyler] Kolek in the game with Jalen. Just to give them a different look and get Jalen off the ball and put Tyler on the floor.”

Brown credited New York’s reserves for playing well and for Bridges’ benching:

“Doing that, playing Jordan Clarkson extended minutes, Landry was playing well,” Brown continued. “Now there’s not much room. And the combination we had out there, we kept playing well. It was harder to go back to what we started with.”

New York was outscored 38 to 33 with Bridges on the floor. He was sluggish on defense, and finished his night with more fouls than made field goals. On the season, the numbers are far worse.

Bridges has the lowest true shooting percentage (33.8%) of the entire NBA, minimum 30 shot attempts, per NBA.com. And only Sion James of the Charlotte Hornets has scored fewer points this season, minimum 125 minutes played.

According to Fadeaway, the Knicks are being outscored by 15 points per 100 possessions with Bridges on the floor. New York is scoring a lowly 97.8 points per 100 possessions and allowing 112.9.

Last year, the Knicks finished the regular season scoring 120.7 points per 100 and allowing 114.4 with Bridges on the floor. Is it just a matter of time?

Bridges has slumped before. His time in New York has offered consideration into redefining the term itself. Few players have been more polarizing amongst the Knicks fanbase than the man who’s acquisition cost a bounty of first-round picks.

And yet he always bounces back, and it’s almost always in grand fashion. Both he and the Knicks will hope this is just an atypical stretch as the season is only just begun. New York will host the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday. Tip-off is 8:00 pm EST.