It wasn’t that long ago when it looked like the Charlotte Hornets needed to trade Miles Bridges. The sentiments surrounding the organization may have changed, more so now after helping the Hornets prevail in their marquee matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. In fact, the only reason they should ship him by the trade deadline is if they receive an offer they simply can't refuse.
After a polarizing start to this season, Bridges has finally settled down and shown his potential to be a connective piece around the franchise’s top players. For a while, he led Charlotte in scoring, although his inefficient shooting and tendency to play hero ball didn’t endear him to fans.
In eight games this January, he has been pretty impressive from the field while averaging 18.8 points per contest. His 54.1 percent field-goal percentage and 44.9 percent shooting from three have turned a lot of heads and silenced some haters.
Proving his value in Los Angeles
Bridges has had plenty of amazing outings this season, but his performance against the Lakers on Thursday deserves special mention.
The Hornets ended up routing the hosts 135-117, although the match was tightly contested in the first half. Thanks to Luka Doncic’s 19-point quarter, the Lakers raced to a 39-30 lead in the first frame. However, the Hornets responded with a 34-16 advantage in the second period. Bridges led the way for his team in the opening half with 17 points. More impressive was that he was perfect from the field, making all six of his attempts, three of which came from 3-point range.
Given that he had the hot hand, the 27-year-old forward could have continued to ask for the ball after halftime. Instead, he took a step back and let his teammates cook. LaMelo Ball went supernova, recording 27 and eight 3-pointers of his totals of 30 points and nine 3-pointers in the final two quarters. Meanwhile, Brandon Miller quietly scored 13 in each half, and Kon Knueppel had a perfect second half, shooting 4-4 from the field.
Charlotte finally found a Big 3 it can rely on, as long as the guys are healthy and Ball is playing to his potential. However, there are nights when at least one of them can be ineffective on the floor, and the squad must be thankful that it has Bridges who can complement them well in the scoring department.
It doesn’t mean Bridges has locked the starting power forward spot moving forward. He can still be easily exploited by bigger matchups, and his help defense leaves a great deal to be desired. However, if the Hornets can’t find a trade that gives them a return commensurate with his value, it’s better for them to hold onto their longest-tenured player and find him a more suitable role.