Mailbag: What’s going on with the Charlotte Hornets and Miles Bridges?
Mercifully, the preseason is almost over and the games begin counting soon.
And as usual, no matter the time of year, there are plenty of questions surrounding the Charlotte Hornets, who are getting set for their second season under coach Steve Clifford.
In this latest mailbag, we answer reader queries about a variety of subjects, including Miles Bridges’ current status, Brandon Miller’s outlook, LaMelo Ball’s ankle braces and more.
What’s going on with Miles Bridges?
Tyler Ingram asks on X, formerly known as Twitter: Why is Miles still with the team?
This is not going to be an immediate knee-jerk type of decision. Just as it was before the Hornets decided to waive Kai Jones last week. Following last week’s revelations, everyone is still in the fact-gathering stage at this point and until everybody knows just that — the facts on both sides — nothing is imminent with Bridges’ status. Could that be different in a few days, weeks or months? Sure.
But again, it all depends on the facts of his current situation. Until it becomes clarified, the NBA, Hornets and anybody else investigating Bridges’ involvement remains the same. He signed a one-year deal and is suspended for the first 10 games of the season As of now, he’s still eligible to be available to play when the Hornets host Milwaukee on Nov. 17.
LaMelo Ball’s braces
Aryan on X asks: How is LaMelo adjusting to the ankle braces?
Unless he stopped wearing them, it seems like LaMelo is adjusting perfectly fine and without any hiccups. As you can see in the first three games of the preseason, he’s going out there still attacking the basket, crashing to the floor the way he normally has. He gets right back up. He hasn’t been spotted flexing anything or trying to limber up, which is something we’ve seen him doing on the bench previously. By all indications, everything is A-OK.
And ankle braces have become a thing with the Hornets. Because as mentioned on X, co-owner Rick Schnall also sports ankle braces when he’s playing pickup games in the gym after practice. But again, as far as we know, LaMelo’s new equipment is not an issue.
What’s the deal with Cody Martin?
Russell Daniel asks on X: Is Cody Martin considered to be on IR
No, Cody Martin is not on IR. The Hornets intend on being completely certain that he’s as healthy as possible and doesn’t suffer any setbacks whatsoever when they put him out on the court for full-contact practices, which will also lead to games and everything else. Cody wants to make sure that he is fully all the way there and won’t have to endure what he did last season when he thought he was ready but his body told him otherwise.
The Hornets don’t want that to happen again and hinder Martin’s career. They view him as a valuable piece, leading to him inking the four-year, $31-million contract in 2022. Clifford values Martin’s defensive acumen and hasn’t been able to use it, save for parts of six games. Ensuring he’s right physically and mentally is important for Martin’s long-term sustainability, and they are being overly cautious on purpose.
Brandon Miller’s progress
Dalton asks on X: Thoughts on Miller starting out the gate?
There’s no chance Miller starts out at the gate. Could it happen at some point during his rookie season? Absolutely, but it’s not going to be something that we witness immediately. Gordon Hayward is the starting small forward, and knowing the veteran is in the final year of his contract and has not played a full season since he’s been with Charlotte gives one reason to believe that at some point over the coming weeks, the Hornets’ prized draft pick will be in Clifford’s game-opening lineup. But don’t think for a second that Miller won’t begin his career coming off the bench.
Carson Knudson on X asks: What can we realistically expect from B Miller after the sample size from summer league?
Based on everything these ears have heard and from what these brown eyes observe, Miller could be in line for a big season. Anytime anyone is asked about him, they offer up nothing but compliments. And that shows just how much he’s already liked by his teammates and the coaching staff. It’s rare to see a rookie getting this kind of accolades from his teammates at such an early stage. They haven’t played a meaningful game yet and he’s assimilated himself nicely into the team.
Miller also isn’t just doing it on one side of the ball, He has the tools to be a two-way player for the Hornets and multi-dimensional. Because of his size, he can play three positions — shooting guard, small forward and power forward depending on certain lineups. When he’s in rhythm and his jump shot is flowing, he can be a really key piece for the Hornets since defenses won’t be focused on him. When they have a combination on the floor featuring, say, LaMelo, Terry Rozier, PJ Washington and Mark Williams together, that should provide Miller with space to roam a little bit more, increasing his opportunities to get easy buckets.
Hornets roster moves
KSP asks on X: Any indication on the direction the Hornets might go with that open roster spot? Vet center? Another guard? Leave it open?
It’s too premature to tell exactly which direction the Hornets will lean as they figure out what’s happening with the final roster spot that opened up following Jones’ release last week. For team president/GM Mitch Kupchak, roster flexibility is a big thing. And if past experience is any indication, understanding how Kupchak operates, the Hornets probably won’t fill that last roster spot.
Usually, Kupchak enjoys having an extra slot available, just in case he needs to make an emergency move during the season. So, barring an injury at another position such as guard or someone becoming available when the final rounds of cuts have to be made on Monday, it’d be surprising if the Hornets didn’t eventually plug Jones’ old spot on the roster with another big man.
Hornets or Panthers?
@TheSportzNutt asks on X: Will the Hornets win a game before the Panthers?
Thanks for the alley-oop, buddy. The Carolina Panthers are on a bye this week and their next game isn’t until Oct. 29 against the Houston Texans at Bank of America Stadium. With that in mind, absolutely, the Hornets are going to win a game first before their NFL counterparts do. After the season opener, the Hornets host Detroit two days later, giving them a pair of opportunities to get one before the Panthers.
And if Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud leads the Texans to a victory over Carolina in a game they will probably be favored in, it’s a given the Hornets will dent the win column first since they have three more games during the first full week of November. So, yeah, the Hornets will achieve the, uh, feat. And who would’ve thought that would have been the case when each team’s schedules were released?
This story was originally published October 18, 2023 at 7:30 AM.
