Mikal Bridges remains in the Knicks’ starting lineup, but apart from that his role is changing, writes James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. An early-season slump has cut into Bridges’ playing time, and he was only on the court for 17:11 during Wednesday’s loss to Cleveland, finishing with two points, one rebound and two assists. Edwards notes that coach Mike Brown replaced Bridges with Landry Shamet just 3:54 into the second half.

“Mikal is a starter,” Brown told reporters after the game. “It’s not a question of that. He, like a lot of players, has had their good moments and not-so-good moments. Mikal has a proven track record of playing at a pretty high level as a starter in this league. So, for me to make a panic decision and change it right now, with 10 games in or whatever we are, I’m not feeling it.”

It marked the second straight 17-minute outing for Bridges, who has been mired in a horrific shooting slump to start the season. A reliable shooter throughout his career, the 30-year-old swingman is connecting at just 32.9% from the field and 26.5% from three-point range through the first 11 games.

While Brown remains supportive of Bridges in his public comments, his coaching decisions reflect a loss of confidence, Edwards adds, pointing out that Bridges has only received fourth quarter minutes in six games this season. Edwards states that reserve guards Shamet, Miles McBride and Jordan Clarkson have all been more impactful so far.

There’s more from New York:

• Brown was upset about the lack of free throw attempts his team received on Wednesday, noting that star guard Jalen Brunson didn’t get to the line at all, relays Vincent Goodwill of ESPN. “I’m a little surprised,” Brown said. “I have to go back and watch the film, but Jalen plays 34 minutes and has zero free throw attempts. That’s pretty alarming.”
  
• Despite losing Mitchell Robinson in free agency, the Knicks have been a better rebounding team so far this season, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscriber link). Heading into Wednesday, they were leading the NBA with 49.4 rebounds per game and ranked second in offensive boards at 14.9. Veteran center Andre Drummond, who was signed to replace Robinson, has been a huge part of that effort. “Andre’s done a fantastic job in that area, as an individual,” Brown said. “He’s not Mitch, nobody would compare him to Mitch, but he’s brought a dimension to the table that we really like. He’s always been a great offensive rebounder, and he’s showing it now as an individual.”
• Josh Hart returned on Wednesday after missing three games with ankle soreness and an illness, per Peter Sblendorio of The New York Daily News (subscription required).“We’re not good right now in the transition game, offensively,” Brown said before the game. “When he’s not playing, you do feel his presence being missed.”