Miles Bridges is a positive piece for the Charlotte Hornets

Hornets forward has shown his worth.
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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Miles Bridges has had his name mentioned in multiple trade discussions this season and in recent years. Bridges didn't particularly have the start to the season he was hoping for after signing a three-year deal worth $75 million in the summer, but he's starting to show his true worth for the team as of late.

Fans have been quick to turn on Bridges, and some of that may be due to what happened off the court a couple of years ago. However, recently, he has proved that he impacts winning and is passionate about winning.

Bridges started the season struggling to find his role with the team as he averaged below 13 points per game in the first month and a half of play with shooting splits around 37% from the field and 24% from three. He started playing more like himself after that stretch but dealt with two injuries that kept him out of action for a couple of weeks.

However, as of late the Hornets have started to get healthier, which has opened more aspects for Bridges on both ends of the ball. The Hornets' offense had become very stagnant with both Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball missing time, which led to many questioning the play of Bridges.

What some people fail to realize is that Bridges is a player who thrives off of the guys around him and that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's truly difficult to score the ball when your opponent solely focuses on you because they're not concerned with Josh Green, Vasilije Micic, or Cody Martin beating them.

In Bridges' last five games, he has turned the corner, averaging 22.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists while shooting 52.6% from the field and 50.0% from three. He has scored 21 or more in all of those games, as well as shooting above 45% from the field and 40% from three in those games.

The impact of having LaMelo Ball alongside him, while also getting into rhythm from distance has really advanced his play into what many Hornets fans and the organization believed they'd see from him coming into the 2024-2025 season.

If there's one thing to expect from Bridges, it's that he will continue to fight hard and make plays for his team that gives them a chance to win. That also accounts for when he's not shooting the ball particularly well, as he will typically find a way to impact the game in a positive way, whether that's defensively or making the right reads offensively.

Also, the best ability is the best availability, and over the years, he's stayed healthy for the most part. The Hornets have been cursed with injuries over the course of the last couple of seasons, but even if Bridges is banged up, he still suits up and gives it his all and you have to respect that.

Coach Lee has been vocal about how important Bridges has been to the team this season as a leader and also his competitiveness and willingness to compete and win games. It's no coincidence that every coach that has coached Bridges in his tenure with the Hornets has had positive things to say about him.

Overall, I'd agree that Bridges has shown inconsistencies in his career at times, but I'd also argue that his value to the Hornets is real and that his recent play has had a major impact on the Hornets' current winning streak.

The Hornets' play recently has shown me that the team has some of the right pieces in place, but it just requires them to stay healthy. So far, I've been impressed with the desire and passion that Bridges has on the floor as I think it's also inspired his teammates to do just the same.

Bridges was also one of the players who mentioned that he believed the Hornets' season wasn't over just yet a couple of weeks ago, which is admiring considering the Hornets had won their first game in over a month at that time. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the season plays out for Bridges and the Hornets, but I believe he should remain in Charlotte.

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