The Charlotte Hornets haven't exactly been an entertaining team to watch in the past few years. They haven't made the playoffs since the 2015-16 season, and their star player, Kemba Walker, might not be long for the franchise. However, Hornets fans have something new to be excited about after new head coach James Borrego had nothing but positive things to say about their lottery pick, Miles Bridges:
James Borrego very high on rookie @MilesBridges who he says is better than he anticipated when they drafted him.
— Rick Bonnell (@rick_bonnell) September 11, 2018
The Los Angeles Clippers initially picked Bridges 12th overall out of Michigan State after two very impressive seasons under Tom Izzo. Bridges posted college averages of 17.0 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game on 47 percent shooting.
As a rangy wing player with 3-and-D potential, some pundits expected Bridges to go even higher than he did in the draft, but he fell to the lower end of the lottery in a fairly strong draft class and was traded to Charlotte on draft night.
Bridges impressed during Summer League with his tremendous athleticism, throwing down several rim-rattling dunks and swatting shots. With the coach's confidence and a solid Summer League performance under his belt, Bridges looks like he can instantly make a contribution to the team when the regular season rolls around.
While Michael Kidd-Gilchrist will more than likely be the Hornets' starting small forward for the beginning of the season, nothing is set in stone. It wouldn't be a shock to see Bridges move into that role if he can continue to impress the way he has.
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