The Charlotte Hornets lost to the Miami Heat in their second In-Season Tournament game 111-105. They were down three key players in Terry Rozier, Gordon Hayward and Brandon Miller, so a lot of the other young guys saw the floor on Tuesday night. There were some growing pains for Charlotte, but among all the injuries there is good news coming.
Miles Bridges is set to make his return on November 17th against the Milwaukee Bucks. His 30-game suspension for pleading no contest last year to charges related to a domestic violence incident has been paid in full after he sat out the first 10 games of the 2023-24 season. After missing all of last season, everyone is excited to see Bridges back on the floor.
LaMelo Ball & PJ Washington couldn't be happier about Miles Bridges' return
In his first two seasons, LaMelo Ball's favorite go-to target to find was Bridges. The two had great synergy on the court which led to some exciting plays around the rim, and more importantly, to wins. Sure, the Hornets weren't quite good enough to lock down a playoff spot with Ball and Bridges leading the way, but did make the play-in tournament in consecutive season.
With that being said, despite the loss to Miami, Ball is excited for his favorite lob threat's return.
“He’s definitely another contributor who’s good on offense and defense,” Ball said. We’re glad to have him back, for sure.”
As for PJ Washington, who played his first three seasons with Bridges, seemed giddy about his teammate's looming return.
“He's gonna be great, I just can't wait. Can't wait for y'all to see him. I know he's excited to play and we're excited to play with him. I'm happy for him to be back on the floor. And I can't wait for him to come out there and help us because we need it for sure.”
Back to the regularly scheduled program?
Before the suspension, Bridges posted career-highs across the board in points, rebounds, and assists in 2021-22. He was also easily their best two-way player. Being able to essentially switch one through five made Miles' impact on defense an invaluable trait for a young Hornets team still trying to helm an identity. After missing out on all the action in 2022-23, Bridges will be raring to go as soon as possible.
The question is, will he be ready to play? How long will it take him to find his rhythm? Will he come off the bench all season or work his way into the starting lineup? These area all questions that will hopefully be answered by Bridges and the Hornets answered in coming days.
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