Skybox wrote:What happened to CHA other than Bridges (terrible)? I think PJ might be among the most underrated players in the NBA and, maybe, he jumps into Bridges' void and has a career year. IF Hayward is healthy and contributing on a high level and Mark Williams plays well...they could be better this year than last...unless I'm missing some CHA news.
Also, as bad as the Bridges situation is, maybe he gets cleared (settles quickly and as quietly as possible given the optics), eats a suspension, gives the right interviews, says the right things (and means it)...maybe he's back sooner rather than later. Not rooting for him, I HATE the story, but reality is - he's not off the planet.
well, how much time do you have?
in short...
team gets blown out of play-in game for the second straight year, after winning 43 games.
Team hires Kenny Atkinson
Kenny Atkinson says nah never mind
Team scrambles to find another head coach. Has presumably offended Mike D'Antoni or something, and falls back to Steve Clifford, who they fired four years ago for simply not being a good enough coach to warrant ignoring player development.
Team trades the 13th pick for basically nothing (Denver's 1st in 2023 and a few 2nds), citing the inability to develop many young players at once, and $4M difference was about how much the team needed to duck the luxury tax if they signed Bridges and Martin.
Team drafts Mark Williams (probably a win!)
Bouknight injures hand before summer league and misses a whole offseason of development.
Miles Bridges accidentally posts a picture of himself with purple drank or whatever.
Miles Bridges gets arrested for domestic violence on the eve of free agency. Miles Bridges' wife posts the horrific pictures and videos of the result of Bridges' actions.
Miles Bridges spends the entire offseason awaiting court, something that has still not happened yet (and I'd guess doesn't happen for a while)
The team, in complete shock of what happened, proceeds to do absolutely nothing all summer instead of making moves to pick a direction.
Montrezl Harrell and Isaiah Thomas aren't brought back and this is no replacement.
Hornets go into training camp with no clear NBA talent at center (Williams and Jones are super raw, Plumlee and Richards proven to be terrible), one ball handler on the roster in LaMelo with no backup.
The team looks bad in preseason with 48 minutes of terrible center play, and the non-LaMelo minutes having no playmaker on the floor. Even with LaMelo on the floor, all the ball movement from Borrego's offense is gone under Clifford (too early to say for sure, but it's all we have, and it isn't pretty)
--
We may not be tanking as an organization, but there was zero attempt to put together an actual roster this summer. The combination of adjustment to life without Bridges, new coach, brutal schedule, and other teams improving, lead me to believe this team is winning between 10-15 of their first 41 games.
I do think the team sees what has transpired with the team and eventually tries to bring back Bridges if he's not facing significant jail time, but believe he won't play this season. Might be in his best interest to have the RFA roll over to next summer and have a market (if there is one)
