NEW ORLEANS – Mikal Bridges has already had some low points in his career with the Knicks.

For example, he could hardly make a 3-point shot in the preseason.

His revised shooting form was awkward, mocking and fraught with a problem.

Nerves were suspected to be the cause.

Or worse, the whining.

But the low point was probably November 29th in Charlotte.

In the midst of his worst performance to date, Bridges was substituted in the fourth quarter after a narrow win.

Criticism of his trade costs – five first-round picks! – became louder. Quietly and briefly in the locker room that night, Bridges admitted to the Post: “I had to play better.”

And he did so immediately.

Since that ugly night in Charlotte, Bridges leads the Knicks in total points while shooting 58 percent overall and 43.1 percent on 3s.

His net total during that eight-game stretch is a plus-21, best on the team.

Meanwhile, no player in the NBA has logged more minutes or logged more miles on the court this season than Bridges.

He met the onslaught of criticism early and turned it around at least in the first three weeks of December.

“Once he started shooting, no one said anything (about his revised shooting form). Nobody talks about what it looks like now,” Cam Payne said. “So he’s just locked up, man. He’s pretty good at stuff like that, man. I actually applaud him for that. Because you could easily get distracted or get confused in your head.”

There was a lot of talk about the Villanova connection, but it became clear early on that Payne was Bridges’ best fit in the locker room.

No matter the city, their stands stand side by side.

They dance together while warming up and celebrating. They are joking.

They create elaborate handshakes.

Without Bridges on the roster, Payne wouldn’t be a Knick.

The relationship developed during their four seasons as teammates in Phoenix.

Back then, Bridges was a defensive-minded role player and the third scorer behind Devin Booker and Chris Paul.

He fit seamlessly and effectively into a squad that was two wins short of the championship.

In Brooklyn, Bridges became the first choice and mostly failed, but also developed his game.

He came to the Knicks as a clear No. 3 — first behind Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle, then behind Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns — but the hope and reality in December is that he combines both versions of his NBA self.

“I try to play mixed,” Bridges said. “That’s the biggest thing. I think that’s one of the main reasons I was brought here – that I can do both.”

Payne agreed that Bridges was a hybrid.

“He probably had that Brooklyn Kal at the beginning of the year. I feel like he’s going back to that Phoenix Kal a little bit,” Payne said. “But honestly, he’s been different in a good way since he left Phoenix. I feel like his offensive game is slowly gaining momentum and becoming more complete. I think the Brooklyn game helped with that.”

On offense, the only criticism is that Bridges still can’t get to the foul line – he’s averaging less than one attempt per game this season – but there’s a reason he’s never had one missed the game.

Slamming low isn’t necessarily part of Bridges’ strategy.

Instead, he cuts without the ball for easy looks, shoots from mid-pass or dribble, and knocks down open 3-pointers.

Over the last eight games, Bridges has been better in all of these areas.

He was key to Thursday night’s victory, holding the Timberwolves to 107 points despite Josh Hart’s absence for personal reasons.

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“You notice that with every game there is more comfort. That’s probably not the right word, but he’s got a great rhythm now,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “He understands his teammates much better. His teammates understand him much better. He plays a great ground game. He moves without the ball. He gets to the ground quickly in transition.

“I think when you find those shots, it’s hard to guard him when he’s moving like that.”

Towns said Bridges’ rise in December – from the bench and missed shots to unmatched reliability – was a team effort.

“We had to be better for him. I think we all understood and accepted the challenge and made it a focus to get it up and running,” Towns said. “He’s not just a player in this league, he’s a star in this league. He deserves the thought process of a star. … We found ways to get him the ball in the spots where he thrives. He made excellent use of these opportunities.”