Miles Bridges unsure about dunk contest, sure about who he wants to dunk on

The second-year forward for the Charlotte Hornets wants to dunk on Draymond Green and improve his three-point shooting this season.

CHARLOTTE --- As a rookie, Miles Bridges impressed in the NBA’s Slam Dunk Contest at the 2019 All-Star Weekend, but came up just short of making the final round. Still, the Michigan State product put on some highlights and established himself – in that contest and in games – as one of the league’s better young dunkers.

Bridges got a perfect score on one dunk, where he caught a lob off the backboard from former teammate Kemba Walker and threw down a spinning right-handed slam while rocking a Larry Johnson jersey. Even the great Kevin Garnett got out of his seat to clap it up for Bridges.

In his sophomore season, will Bridges give the dunk contest another go?

“I don’t know,” Bridges said at media day Monday. “Right now, I’m just focused on the season. Maybe.”

Bridges dunked 71 times his rookie season, in which he posted per-game averages of 12.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and two assists per-game. He was solid at finishing against contact too, connecting on 53.3 percent of his 2-point attempts where a defender was guarding him tightly, zero to four feet away.

“I like to get to the rim a lot, so hopefully I can have some more dunks,” Bridges said.

The 6-foot-7 forward also added that his goal this season is to improve his outside shot and connect on at least 38 percent of his three-pointers. Bridges shot 32.5 percent from beyond the arc last season, attempting 2.5 per-game. He shot 34 percent on catch-and-shoot threes, 33.3 percent on threes where he took at least seven dribbles, 36.8 percent on wide-open threes (where the defender was at least six feet away), and 39.5 percent on corner threes.

"My goal is to get better every single game, every single practice,” Bridges said. "I feel like I definitely got better as a defender. I'm stronger.”

In addition to improving his game this off-season, Bridges also spent some time in the recording booth. Under the moniker “DB & MB” he and teammate Dwayne Bacon released a 10-track EP titled “King of Ace.” The second song on the album, which available on Spotify, is called “Kemba.”

While Bridges shied away from a potential rap battle with Portland guard Damian Lillard and remained unsure about competing in the dunk contest in 2020, he has identified a target for the next player he wants to put on a poster.

“Definitely Draymond,” Bridges said when asked who he wants to bang on. “He’s been talking stuff to me.”

Bridges will get at least two chances. Draymond Green, a former Michigan State Spartan like Bridges, comes to the Spectrum Center with the Warriors on Dec. 4. The Hornets play at Golden State on Nov. 2.