With Miles Bridges officially back after serving his 30-game suspension in full, there is optimism within the organization that he will do great things. He posted career-highs across the board in points, rebounds, and assists in the 2021-22 season. He showed he was able to play both on and off the ball. He was good in catch-and-shoot opportunities and moved well while rolling to the rim as a cutter or roller in pick-and-roll situations. On defense, he was their best defender.

Although Bridges might be a bit rusty, the Hornets are happy to have him back. Here are three things we should expect from Bridges in his 2023-24 season debut on Friday against the Milwaukee Bucks

Bridges' athleticism should still be there

Hornets, Miles Bridges

Even though he sat out an entire season, that doesn't mean Miles Bridges was just sitting on his butt doing nothing. He was working out as much as he could, grinding to make sure he would still be in the best shape possible once a chance came to rejoin the team.

We could probably predict Bridges may not be as sharp on the floor, especially playing in a new system, but highlight plays around the rim are still likely. He should be able to throw down lobs, finish tough shots around the rim and contest shots on the other end through just sheer effort. Bridges been one of the more explosive athletes in the league since he entered it back in 2018.

Bridges will show flashes of lockdown defense

Bridges was always tasked with guarding the opposing team's best players before missing last season, whether that be LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Luka Doncic, you name it. With his 6'7, muscular build, he held his own against those guys at times.

Steve Clifford is sure to utilized Bridges on that end of the floor immediately. He'll probably tasked with guarding both Damian Lillard & Giannis Antetokounmpo at times in his debut. Both guys are superstars, though, so talk about getting thrown into the fire on your first day back.

Hornets will feed off Bridges' leadership

It's an underrated trait that few players actually possess. Before being accused of domestic violence, Miles Bridges was emerging as a leader for Charlotte, one who was able to help steer teammates the right direction on both sides of the floor. Sure, he has a few new teammates since the last time he was on the floor, but Bridges has been at practice since the start of training camp. His energy should be infectious for a group of guys that know how badly he wanted to be out there this entire time.

Steve Clifford was unsure earlier this week about the amount of minutes he will play, but we know Bridges won't start. He'll be coming off the bench in his debut. He still has to get into game shape as well. In fact, Bridges acknowledged that as his biggest adjustment.

“Biggest adjustment of course would be my wind,” he said. “There's nothing like game shape. I could run as much as I can but for me to be running, guarding, and scoring the ball, it's gonna take a while.”

Again, it's a tough first game for Bridges to come back, facing one of the favorites to win the title this season. On the other hand, though, there's no time like the present.