Nets' Mikal Bridges Finishes Second in Teammate of the Year Vote

Since his time with the Phoenix Suns, Mikal Bridges has been a fan favorite. His antics, leadership and unique connection with his "twin" and teammate Cameron Johnson are reasons for the fandom. As a player, playing alongside Bridges would be an incredibly easy task, and he's very likable among the NBA fanbase as a whole.

This was proven on Wednesday as the results for Teammate of the Year were released. With the first round of the NBA playoffs underway, a variety of award -- both big and small -- have been being released over time. While the Brooklyn Nets aren't playing postseason basketball, they saw some activity with the awards being released.

Minnesota Timberwolves veteran guard Mike Conley won the award, but Bridges was No. 2 in the voting. It's been understood how good of a guy and teammate Conley has been over his career, so it's more than deserved. It's also a compliment to Bridges to be grouped into the award voting for the same reason.

Conley finished with 1,172 votes and 51 first-place votes en route to the Teammate of the Year victory. Briges trailed closely, earning 1,041 total votes and 47 first-place votes. With over 300 players voting on the award, nearly one-third of the first-place votes were distributed to those two players alone.

The award is “based on selfless play, on- and off-court leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment and dedication to team.” It's an honor for Bridges to be among the top of the voting for this award, and it's hard to imagine it'll be his last time finishing near the top of the voting.

The 27-year-old Nets forward averaged 19.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game in 82 appearances during his most recent season. He remains a key piece of the Nets' nucleus as they move forward both as a teammate and one of the team's most productive players.