POWER FORWARD – Miles Bridges
Over the course of last season, head coach James Borrego largely let PJ Washington hold down the starting power forward spot – and he was fine in doing so. That said, Washington also wasn’t exactly other-worldly.
Charlotte Hornets: Predicting the 2021-22 starting five
Bridges showed immense progression towards the end of last season, and that is largely the reason why he is slotted here rather than Washington. In the final 19 games of the season, Bridges averaged 20 points, seven rebounds, and three assists per game on shooting splits of 52/44/83.
Now, there is a very real chance that the progression which Bridges showed is not real. If that is the case, he is going to be slotted in his sixth man role that he occupied last season. With that said, his efficiency and defensive prowess indicate that, even with some regression, he is going to be the better option ahead of PJ Washington.
That’s nothing against Washington – in fact when Washington was good last year, he was really, really good. The issue, though, with Washington is that his inconsistency often cost the Hornets games. He was the team’s best post defender when he was on – but he was rarely at his peak. PJ Washington has the ability to transform an offense with what he brings as a shooter and playmaker. But again, there is a question of how often he utilizes those skills to their fullest extent.