Hornets injury update: Miles Bridges' status in jeopardy for tonight's game against Detroit

Nov 17, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) celebrates after hitting a three point basket during the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Charlotte Hornets may be without a key offensive piece tonight.

The team announced this afternoon that Miles Bridges status for tonight's contest against the Pistons was downgraded from 'Probable' to 'Questionable'. Bridges has been in and out of the lineup managing a knee injury that he suffered when Charlotte took down Detroit on a buzzer-beating layup just over two weeks ago.

UPDATE: @hornets forward Miles Bridges (L Knee) has been downgraded to questionable for this evening's game vs. DET https://t.co/4hiHmXrmgq
— Charlotte Hornets PR (@HornetsPR) November 21, 2024

The veteran forward has rebounded from a slow start to the season. He dropped a season-high 27 points in the Hornets' last matchup against the Pistons before getting hurt, and after a week of rest, he has returned to the starting five and scored 19, 19, and 21 points in Charlotte's last three contests. Bridges propensity to attack the rim opens up a Charlotte offense that lacks rim pressure outside of LaMelo Ball, a trait that would be sorely missed this evening.

Who would step up in Bridges' absence?

When Bridges missed a handful of games with an ailing knee, Tidjane Salaün started his first career games as a professional. It's safe to assume that the rookie would assume a larger role in a potential Bridges absence, along with his countryman Moussa Diabaté. Charlotte's lineups that feature their glass cleaning big man Diabaté have taken the league by storm.

According to Cleaning the Glass, Charlotte is 22.2 points better per 100 possessions when Diabaté takes the floor, a sizable number that speaks to his flabbergasting impact.

Stay tuned to Hornets on SI for more news about Miles Bridges status as tip off for tonight's contest nears.

Who would step up in Bridges' absence?

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