Mar 8, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) reacts during the fourth quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

Sadly, Hornets star Miles Bridges is going to decline like one analyst thinks

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Zach Roberts | Last updated Aug 21, 2025 9:01 AM ET

The Charlotte Hornets, at least among those who remain from 2024-25, will have some players take steps forward and others take steps backward. Stagnation is rare, as players almost always get better or worse from season to season.

Bleacher Report insider Grant Hughes predicted that Brandon Miller will take a step forward, while Miles Bridges will take a step backward. Bridges is the longest-tenured Hornet right now. Sadly, it really does look like Hughes' pick is going to age well.

Miles Bridges actually is primed for decline

The primary reason Miles Bridges might take a step back, according to Grant Hughes, is a predicted dip in athleticism. "It's never a bad idea to forecast slippage for athleticism-based players as they move into their late 20s," Hughes said. Bridges will be 28 by the end of the season. That's far from ancient, but he won't have quite the same spring in his step.

The other reason is just that Bridges hasn't really gotten better lately. He's been on a bit of a decline for a couple of seasons, just one that was nearly unnoticeable. He shot 40% from three in 2020-2021, but he hasn't even reached 35% since.

"Paired with poor defense and declining overall efficiency, the lefty forward's diminishing bounce (only 55 dunks last year, a four-year low) means he's going to lose minutes and score less frequently for a Charlotte squad that seems to want spacing around LaMelo Ball," Hughes said.

Unfortunately, he's spot on. Bridges doesn't have the shooting that Charlotte wants to surround Ball with. He is also slowly losing the athleticism that made him an ideal lob threat for Ball as well. He can still get up, but it happens less and less.

Bridges also needs the ball in his hands to be effective. We saw this in 2024-25, as Bridges seemed to consistently do better with Ball, Miller, or both on the bench. He scored 46 in a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Ball played in that one, but he wasn't particularly good, which led to more usage for Bridges.

That won't be as much of a problem in 2025-26. Ball and Miller will surely be healthier, and the roster has plenty of other options to come in if they're not. Bridges just won't have the opportunities he did in the past, which is a surefire reason to expect a decline.