What Has Made This Year So Successful For Miles Bridges?

The Charlotte Hornets are going to have a difficult decision to make this offseason. Do they re-sign Miles Bridges? In regards to a long-term contract, Bridges bet on himself this season, and it will definitely pay off for him. The fourth-year forward is in the midst of a career-year in every sense of the phrase.

Averaging career-highs in minutes, points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks, Bridges is not only a candidate for Most Improved Player, but he is also setting himself up for a mega payday in a few months. While it is easy to say his increased minutes are the cause of his improved play, there is more to the story than that.

For the past two seasons, Bridges has averaged right at 30 minutes per game. Two seasons ago, he was primarily a starter; last season, he primarily came off the bench. What has been the main difference this season?

For starters, he is averaging nearly 36 minutes per game as a full-time starter, and he has missed only two of the Hornets 75 games this season. That durability coupled with the increased workload is a major factor, but it is still not the main reason he has improved so dramatically.

The main reason Bridges has taken the next step forward is because he is playing almost exclusively at power forward this season. With Gordon Hayward in the starting lineup, Bridges starts at the four spot. With Hayward out of the lineup, Bridges starts at small forward, but plays the majority of the time at power forward.

This is because P.J. Washington has also taken a step forward this season for the Hornets. It may seem weird to say that a two-year starter turned into a bench player and got better, but that is the case for Washington. Coming off the bench, he can play backup center minutes and keep Bridges at power forward, which is his best position.

In previous years, Washington played power forward with occasional center minutes sprinkled in. Now, he is playing mostly center minutes, which is keeping Bridges on the court for a longer span of time from game-to-game.

While Bridges is improving and earning a big payday this offseason, this is not exclusively because he simply got more minutes. It matters what position those minutes are in. With the power forward spot locked down, Bridges has been able to have his career-year at the perfect time for the Hornets, who have their eyes on the playoffs.