Charlotte Hornets head coach Steve Clifford told reporters that Miles Bridges will “have a significant role right away” when he returns from his suspension.
Bridges will be eligible to play in his first game in well over a year for the Hornets on November 17 against the Milwaukee Bucks.
“I think he’ll be ready to play. He’s in practice every day. So, he’s been well organized when he’s there,” Clifford said of Bridges. “He’s in really good shape. He’s worked hard.”
Last November, Bridges pleaded no contest to a felony domestic violence charge and was sentenced to three years of probation as part of a deal with prosecutors after being accused of assaulting his then-girlfriend in front of their two children in May 2022. Bridges didn’t play at all last season.
Bridges has career averages of 13.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists. The lefty was the 12th overall pick in the 2018 draft. Bridges signed a $7.9 million qualifying offer with the Hornets in July.
In 2021-22, Bridges averaged 20.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists for the Hornets in 80 games. Charlotte is 3-6 on the season.
“That’s under worry about tomorrow’s problems tomorrow,” Clifford said. “Right now, our problems are: we don’t run back on defense, we don’t block out all the time. So I’ve been spending all my time on that.”
It will be interesting to see how crowds react to Bridges’ return. Some people may have an issue with the forward playing again due to his domestic violence allegations.
More must-reads: