Hornets Remain Focused On Upcoming Season, Not Miles Bridges' Status with the Team
This summer, Hornets forward Miles Bridges pled not guilty to felony domestic violence charges. The preliminary hearing has been extended, set to continue on Thursday, September 29th.
Meanwhile, the Hornets have begun training camp this week sans Bridges. With Bridges' immediate and long-term future with Charlotte currently unclear, here is what different members of the team had to say during Media Day:
Steve Clifford
“What's the status with Miles, where do you sit with that and is he a part of the team?”
“It’s a legal issue and I've been told to not speak about any aspect of it, so it’s not something that I can speak on.”
“Away from the legal part of it, does it make it more difficult to move forward? And how do you move forward without him being here with him being a restricted free agent? What are your plans to move forward with filling that spot in case he is not here?”
“One of the first things you find out in this league is every day is about who is ready, who is active, who is not going to be active, and then what do we have to do today to be prepared for tomorrow? So, when you play 82 games, you're going to have injuries, you’re going to have guys out, COVID has been a big factor in all this, and you have to be adaptable in your thinking, making sure you have plan B, plan C with your playing groups, and this is really a similar situation to where it is part of coaching in this league. So, I feel like again I have a lot of guys that have been around in my staff with veteran coaches, and I think you just get used to the fact that there are the 11 guys that look good tonight and what gives us the best chance to win with these 11 guys.”
Lamelo Ball
“Obviously there’s Miles. I wonder, how much have you talked to him and how much do you guys miss him here?”
“Oh yeah- definitely miss him, you know? Talking to him day and day, just seeing what it is. But other than that, I haven’t really heard too much or anything.”
“How much of a blow would that be if he’s not here?”
“I’m hoping we get him. I’m not really trying to throw any negative energy, just keep it positive.”
Terry Rozier
“I know you are close to Miles. What can you say about that?"
“Training camp starts tomorrow. I’m truly focused on that. Just me knowing Miles, he’s handling this situation the best way he can. So you know, sending him my prayers, but other than that I’m worried about the Charlotte Hornets. And starting tomorrow, we’re here- it’s time.”
“Being close to Miles- first of all what was your reaction when he was arrested? Secondly, while he’s not here, who does that put the most pressure on to step up and fill those shoes.”
“No comment from me. No comment.”
PJ Washington
“As a team, have you guys talked much about the situation? And have you guys reached out to him to see where he is?”
“We haven’t really talked about the situation. I don’t think there’s much for us to talk about. We don’t have really any information. I reached out to him and checked on him, but other than that it’s just been nothing so far.”
“You and Melo both say you’ve talked to Bridges. How is he? What is his mindset? What did he tell you?”
“He just told me he was doing okay. We didn’t get into detail that much, so outside of that I’m not sure I just know he’s doing fine."
As a whole, members of the team appear to be keeping things tight when it comes to the topic. We'll see if the players have any more to say after the continuation of Bridges' hearing on Thursday. Based on how the questions were answered though, it seems like the team is shifting their focus towards the season at hand, with or without Bridges.
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