Miles Bridges Arrested: Felony Domestic Violence, Wife Speaks Pg.85

[Liver_Pooty]

I'm just going to throw it out there that I hope he gets the max. He represents our team and community in a phenomenal manner, and I firmly believe he hasn't hit his peak. I think he can average 24 and 9 in his sleep. Might be crazy, but not as crazy as saying he's average in every facet of basketball other than dunking or having a good fg %

[Hornet Mania]

I'm just going to throw it out there that I hope he gets the max. He represents our team and community in a phenomenal manner, and I firmly believe he hasn't hit his peak. I think he can average 24 and 9 in his sleep. Might be crazy, but not as crazy as saying he's average in every facet of basketball other than dunking or having a good fg %

I also have no issue giving Miles the max, although obviously a hometown discount would be appreciated. He has put in the work and always been a good teammate, I see it as an investment in the Mitch-era culture as much as anything. He's a proof of concept for all the young promising players we have gathered. It shows them all that if they work hard and believe in the program they'll be rewarded. It's also an investment in Melo, shows him we'll spend what it takes to keep his running mates around.

I'm not terribly concerned about Miles growing complacent after he secures the bag either. I expect he will keep incrementally improving or at least maintain this level of play for the next 4-5 seasons.

[MasterIchiro]

Complacency will never be an issue with Miles and he can have the same longevity as Vince Carter. His skills in all facets have improved significantly since his rookie season. The range shooting betrayed him this season but it's possible consistent big minutes and effort on defense has sapped his energy enough to affect his shot from distance. I expect him to push high thirties. He has a nice quiet form.

All that said, he hasn't put up a 20-10 season like Collins so that would be where I try to establish contract parameters. No team is going to freeze cap to try to push me past an established market-based comp. I think teams know even if they max him, we will match and take our time and thwart other moves that rival can make. No team made an offer to Collins. There was never a threat. The right to offer just prevents a lowball and ensures a fair market deal for the restricted free agent. It's not set up to penalize the team. It's supposed to support both player and team.

On that note, Miles should consider how his new contract affects the flexibility to add and retain other players so that the Hornets keep winning. He shouldn't accept a lowball offer (he already refused one) but he shouldn't be looking to reach for an overpay. Again, the right to match limits competitors from inflating the price with a funny number because the higher they go, the more they restrict their own flexibility in free agency. It has to be a market offer and I'm sticking to Collins as my baseline.

[Liver_Pooty]

Average: The Miles Bridges Thread

[GiggitySmalls]

Average: The Miles Bridges Thread

Borderline All-Star and still 23....the Miles Bridges thread.

[Liver_Pooty]

Average: The Miles Bridges Thread

Borderline All-Star and still 23....the Miles Bridges thread.

I thought he was 24, but I agree.

[GiggitySmalls]

Average: The Miles Bridges Thread

Borderline All-Star and still 23....the Miles Bridges thread.

I thought he was 24, but I agree.

23 until the first day of spring. I think he still has room to grow.

[Snidely FC]

The Sky Miles Boogaloo

Read on Twitter

[BigSlam]

The Sky Miles Boogaloo

I read he did that to mimic Stephenson - not sure if in a complimentary way or a mocking way.

[Snidely FC]

Zach Lowe continues to be one of the only national journalists paying attention to what's going on in Charlotte

The Miles Bridges-LaMelo Ball inverted pick-and-roll

Sign me up for more of this!

https://media.video-cdn.espn.com/gifs/mp4/12_23_21____Hornets_Nuggets__Miles_Bridges_2gif.mp4

The feisty Hornets -- 10-5 in their last 15 games, chasing top-six play-in avoidance behind the league's No. 3 offense -- have run only seven Bridges-Ball pick-and-rolls all season, per Second Spectrum. They should try more -- at least a once-a-game surprise attack, or something they improvise when Bridges rushes the ball up after a defensive rebound.

It gets Ball ... the, umm, ball on the move, with some head start against a defense already in rotation. He can flare for 3s, or slip open toward the foul line. It also forces half-court defenses to guard Bridges. He's down to 32.7% on 3s, and more teams ignore him on the perimeter when he doesn't have the ball. Smart defenses will duck under ball screens for Bridges, but that's hard to do when you don't expect it.

Switching may leave a mismatch -- Ball with an edge in speed, Bridges in size.

Bridges is a rickety back-to-the-basket scorer, but he's effective plowing into smaller defenders and flicking hooks over them with either hand. The Hornets have poured in 1.23 points per possession on trips featuring a Bridges pick-and-roll -- 10th among 232 guys who have run at least 50 such plays, per Second Spectrum.

Bridges is averaging 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 3.5 assists -- and shooting 59% on 2s. He has amped up his pick-and-roll and isolation volume, with nice results. He's a solid multipositional defender.

Ball is down to 42% overall and 47% on 2s. As the engine of Charlotte's offense he's probably a slightly better All-Star candidate than Bridges, but it's closer than you might think. Both deserve heavy consideration.

P.S. Charlotte ranks 12th in points allowed per possession in January. If they can approach league average on defense, they're a dangerous first-round underdog.

[BigSlam]

Zach Lowe continues to be one of the only national journalists paying attention to what's going on in Charlotte

Bridges is averaging 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 3.5 assists -- and shooting 59% on 2s. He has amped up his pick-and-roll and isolation volume, with nice results. He's a solid multipositional defender.

Uh-oh!! Here they come...

[JMAC3]

Zach Lowe continues to be one of the only national journalists paying attention to what's going on in Charlotte

Bridges is averaging 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 3.5 assists -- and shooting 59% on 2s. He has amped up his pick-and-roll and isolation volume, with nice results. He's a solid multipositional defender.

Uh-oh!! Here they come...

Is this wrong? I mean he can switch basically 1-5 and not be completely helpless. Is he a lockdown, you're never getting in the paint defender? No.

Seems like we tend to think other teams must be loaded with these guys, when in reality there are like 10 total.

[wilson115]

One and one, holds his own. On help, well, afraid he's much like he was as a Spartan, that is to say there's room for improvement.

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

[JMAC3]

One and one, holds his own. On help, well, afraid he's much like he was as a Spartan, that is to say there's room for improvement.

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

I mean are we really using highlights from 2 years ago? 80% of first and 2nd year NBA players suck at defense.

[wilson115]

I mean are we really using highlights from 2 years ago? 80% of first and 2nd year NBA players suck at defense.

I'm saying what I see in those highlights are pretty much the same things I'm seeing now.

[JMAC3]

If Miles is considered a bad defender than so is 75% of the league. I love how our only "good defender" is Martin according to everyone. Every NBA team gives up 100 plus every single night, guys are going to get beat off the dribble or get backcut...

I dont think a defender ever sees Miles guarding them and starts licking their lips to drop 25+ on him.

[KembaWalker]

He's somewhat ok on ball, kinda bad cause he doesn't have that lateral quickness that good man defenders have. But more unforgivably his off ball defense is just awful, a motivated person could easily make a harden tier montage of him falling asleep on off ball cutters or slow rotations.

Not trying to be overly negative but the guy is not nearly the defender he should/could be. Kinda the same thing with Oubre

[JDR720]

I think Lowe equated being able to guard multiple positions (Miles can) to being a good/solid defender (Miles is not). Those two things do not always align.

We're arguably the worst defensive team in the league. It's not some revelation that our players are generally bad defenders.

[Vanderbilt_Grad]

Average ... Avenger ... Averagener.

[KembaWalker]

I was glad and surprised that Miles call was upheld after watching Giannis do it essentially every play. I guess there is some consistency in the league