Miles Bridges continuing breakout season as Hornets emergence continues

Kane Pitman

•
Miles Bridges continuing breakout season as Hornets emergence continues image

Without a number of key players on the road including LaMelo Ball, the Charlotte Hornets had every excuse to drop one to the Atlanta Hawks. 

Perhaps they would have last season, but this year, they are displaying the resolve to overcome adversity as the roster attempts to find the consistency to rise in the Eastern Conference.

NBA League Pass: Sign up to unlock live out-of-market games (7-day free trial)

Ball, Terry Rozier, Mason Plumlee and Jalen McDaniels are all in the health and safety protocols, leaving the Hornets shorthanded against Trae Young and the Hawks. 

Fortunately for James Borrego's squad, Miles Bridges is in the midst of a breakout season.

Pouring in 32 points to go along with four rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block, Bridges has shown he can carry an offence in stretches this season, emerging as the possible second star to the electrifying Ball. 

"He stepped up huge. Made 3s, got to the rim. He's made big shots for us all year," Borrego said postgame. 

"I know Terry (Rozier) has been known for that on our team but when you look at this season, Miles has made as many big shots as anyone this season. Miles was fantastic, played with great poise out there and confidence."

The 30-point performance was his sixth of the season, which is made even more remarkable when you consider he only had three such games across the first three seasons of his career.

Charlotte needed every one of the 32 points in the 130-127 win, with the 23-year-old once again stamping his credentials in the early Most Improved Player conversation.

Miles Bridges taking the next step
  PPG RPG APG SPG BPG
2020-21 12.7 6.0 2.2 0.7 0.8
2021-22 20.4 7.3 3.2 1.3 1.0

Like a lot of the postseason awards, scoring can naturally take a precedent, but the across-the-board stat-stuffing ways of Bridges leaves him in some rare company.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis, Karl-Anthony Towns and Bridges are the only players in the league to be averaging 20 points, seven rebounds, one steal and one block per game.

The emergence of Bridges is the key to Charlotte's offence going to the next level. Ranked fourth in the league for offensive efficiency, the Hornets have five players averaging at least 15 points per night, with Ball, Gordon Hayward and Kelly Oubre Jr. joining Bridges as Charlotte's most frequent bucket-getters.

Of course, outside of the increase in production, the nightly highlights have continued, with arguably the game's most impressive dunker detonating with ridiculous regularity. 

The only looming concern for the Hornets is the contract status of their rising star.

In the final season of a four-year, $16.3 million contract, Bridges is in for a big-time payday. Eligible for an extension last offseason, an agreement was unable to be reached, with ESPN's Brian Windhorst reporting on The Hoop Collective podcast at the time that an offer of a four-year, $60 million was declined.

That offer may have been considered low-ball at the time, but there's no question the Hornets are now facing a substantially larger money figure if they are to retain the services of Bridges. With a number of talented young players on the roster, those are the type of mistakes that can come back to haunt a franchise in future years.

But the contract can be pushed to the side for now at least, with the Hornets holding a 14-11 record to sit well and truly in the postseason mix.

If you somehow have missed jumping on the Hornets League Pass bandwagon, it's not too late. Do yourself a favour and tune in to a Charlotte game, they are box office and Bridges is a big reason why. 

The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its clubs.

Kane Pitman

Kane Pitman Photo