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Charlotte Hornets: Miles Bridges Could be a Rising Star

By Giovanni Spillman

PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 27: Miles Bridges #0 of the Charlotte Hornets dunks the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers on October 27, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 27: Miles Bridges #0 of the Charlotte Hornets dunks the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers on October 27, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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In the past two games, Miles Bridges has been a capable scorer off the bench and has even seen clutch minutes at the end of a game. 

The Charlotte Hornets in their previous two games have been okay for two reasons; the Hornets split the back-to-back games at one, and also had two consecutive games of productivity from Miles Bridges. After the last two games coming off the bench, Bridges is currently averaging 14.5 points per game.

Since Bridges now sees minutes during crunch-time, could it mean that coach James Borrego is getting closer on starting the rookie? Miles Bridges has made many of improvements since the beginning of the season, and he can only look to progress as the season moves along

His Rankings

According to Chris Kroeger, radio voice of the Hornets, Miles Bridges currently ranks in the following  categories among NBA rookies:

  • PPG – 9.3 (7)
  • FGM – 3.8 (6)
  • FG% – 63.9 (2) –  min 10 FGA
  • 3PM – 7 (3)
  • 3PT% – 43.8 (4) – min 5 att
  • TS% – 73.3 (2) – min 10 FGA
  • PER – 19.30 (2).

Through seven games with the Charlotte Hornets and seeing limited minutes at times, Bridges has made an impact with the team. Coach Borrego has also shown that both Bridges and Kemba Walker can play complementary basketball with each other by allowing them on the court at the same time.

For a rookie who is coming off the bench, Bridges has proven that he can be a dangerous scorer in this league. The rookie has even at times put up four or more points while being on the court, for about a minute or two, not to mention he has also been trying to get a poster.

Personal Thoughts

Bridges has been a productive scorer for the Hornets and has been doing it on a consistent basis.  The young rookie may still have a lot to learn in his career, but he has some great mentors around him in Nicolas Batum, Marvin Williams, Jeremy Lamb, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

Veterans like these have a lot of experience, and they can pass it along to Bridges; as they have played some of his position as well. The best veteran from that list though would be no other than Micahel Kidd-Gilchrist.

Kidd-Gilchrist is a player who is very similar to Bridges; the only difference is that MKG lacks the perimeter shooting abilities that Bridges possess. Both of these players are highly athletic and are slashers when it comes to getting to the rim for a bucket. They both also compare nicely in the rebounding category, but Bridges is more of the putback dunker.

I predict that the Bridges will become a starter for the team within the next fifteen or fewer games for the team. Borrego is a coach who loves defense and energy, and Bridges is just the player who is perfect for the job.

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Look for Bridges to make a significant impact tomorrow, as the Charlotte Hornets take on the Miami Heat at home. It will also be important to watch because Bridges did not see any court time in the first win over Miami when the Hornets were on the road.

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