Analyzing the Charlotte Hornets' Schedule in Aftermath of Diabaté, Bridges Bans

The NBA just handed down the official suspensions for Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabaté after the altercation with the Detroit Pistons on Monday night.

Both Charlotte Hornets players got four games, while Pistons center Jalen Duren got two, and Isaiah Stewart was given a seven-game suspension.

All I will say on the actual suspensions is that it's a little bit ridiculous that Duren got half as many games as Diabaté, when there's a strong argument to be made that Duren started the whole thing.

Moving forward, the Hornets are in trouble. They've clawed back into the Play-In Tournament in the standings by winning nine of 10 matchups, and a win tonight would move them past the Atlanta Hawks.

However, for tonight and the three games following the All-Star Break, they'll be without Bridges and Diabaté. That's not ideal, no matter how you slice it, since the five-man unit of LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller, Bridges, and Diabaté has lost just twice as starters.

The Hawks are going to be a very tough matchup tonight without those two. With them, the Hornets barely snuck in a win before the Pistons contest, and they got bad shooting nights from Miller and Ball. In fact, Bridges was arguably the best player on the floor.

Feb 7, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) drives to the basket against the Atlanta Hawks in the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Hawks will also be banged up, but the Hornets are essentially missing two starters and their backup point guard. They have depth to survive this, but they don't have depth to thrive. It's a winnable contest at home, but it will probably end up being a close loss.

After the break, Coby White is supposed to play. If he does, that will help a tiny bit. They host the Houston Rockets out of the break, and while they just dominated them in Houston, after rest and without two starters, that shakes out to be a loss.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are up after that, and with the retooled Cavs getting better as of late, I don't see a path to victory there, either. The Cavaliers are better, and they won't be missing as many contributors.

Finally, the Washington Wizards will be the last game of the suspensions. That's a winnable contest, especially with White back by then. That's one the Hornets probably feel confident they can win without their two key cogs.

This team will be lucky to split the four games, and there's an outside shot they go winless and absolutely tumble in the standings.

The fight was inspiring because it showed they weren't going to let the superior and more aggressive Pistons push them around. It was nice to see that these Hornets care and aren't pushovers, and that they fought back against what was essentially a bully.

It's going to cost them dearly, though. We can argue about the NBA being too harsh on Charlotte in this situation (the league has never been kind to the Hornets), but the fact remains that those two crucial players will be gone for four games.

- MORE STORIES FROM CHARLOTTE HORNETS ON SI -

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Moussa Diabaté Reveals What Caused the Fight with Jalen Duren to Break Out

DeMarcus Cousins Believes the Hornets Are Built to 'Ruin Seasons' for True Contenders

The Hornets Proved Three Things in Loss to Pistons That Forecast a Bright Future