What Did the Hornets Learn About Themselves During Games Without Bridges, Diabaté?

At eight o'clock Eastern time tonight, Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabaté will make their long-awaited return after missing the last four games with suspensions due to a brawl with the Detroit Pistons.

The Charlotte Hornets finished the four game stretch 2-2, marking a now 2-3 record since their first nine game winning streak this century.

With the two out, the Hornets saw Grant Williams and Ryan Kalkbrenner stepping into the starting lineup, marking Kalkbrenner's return to the starting lineup after beginning the year as the starter, and Williams' first starts since returning from an ACL injury that kept him out for over a year.

So, what did the Hornets learn?

Miles Bridges wing defense is important

With Bridges and Diabate's perimeter defense gone, the Hornets relied on Sion James and Grant Williams to guard wings such as Kevin Durant and Jalen Johnson in their place.

James guarded Durant for 32 possessions in the two games where the Hornets faced off against the Houston Rockets, where Durant scored 42.2 points/per 75 possessions, hitting at a 69.9% true shooting percentage. Williams was on him for eleven total possessions, where Durant scored 60.3 points/per 75, with 75% true shooting.

In turn, over the last 154 possessions where Bridges has guarded Durant, he's scored just 20.9 points/per 75.

The Hornets have turned the corner

Just a season ago, if Bridges and Diabaté missed time, the Hornets would have likely gone 0-4. The two games they lost, one to the 36-win and red-hot Cleveland Cavaliers, and one to the 35-win Houston Rockets, were both losses of five or less points.

Although the matchup with the Atlanta Hawks ended up being close, the team blew out the Washington Wizards, and were able to get to the same spot they were before the suspensions started: four games below .500.

Their upcoming schedule will consist of a Chicago Bulls team that has lost nine straight, the 15-43 Indiana Pacers, the 28-30 Portland Trail Blazers, and the 20-36 Dallas Mavericks. The Hornets have the chance to be .500 after the beginning of March for the first time since the 2021-22 season, and have the second-easiest schedule remaining (Atlanta) of the sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth seeds in the Eastern Conference.

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