Miles High: The Miles Bridges Thread

[Chapelchilla]

If the year off was put to good use cleaning up his lifestyle choices and getting therapy that actually takes hold for Miles, I am in favor of bringing him back. The contract should be a bit discounted and have firm behavioral and legal guidelines/drug testing/performance kickers but he deserves a second chance if he has done the work to get it together.

[Braggins]

Read on Twitter

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miles on IG in hornets gear

I saw someone point out on twitter that his trainers in this were also wearing Hornets gear.

[Rich4114]

Man Rod Boone is so freakin useless

He rarely shares anything we don’t already know. Rick took a lot of **** but he was more in tune with what was going on by far. I think the real problem is the observer though. They don’t invest in covering this team and it’s a pay wall to read anything of substance. Between that and the **** tv coverage they seem to get locally, it’s such an unnecessary uphill battle for this team.

As for Miles, he’s probably been penalized more than any other pro sports player who has done something like this ever. It’s mostly due to the timing, but we are talking 92 games without pay and missing out a a max contract. When can you think of a pro sports player having something like that from a domestic abuse case? I’ve got to imagine he won’t make that mistake again considering what it’s already cost him and what it will certainly cost him if it happened again. And not to say it’s the same or anything but you’re also talking about a league (and overall society culture) who seems to think it’s much more ok when an NBA player punches another NBA player in the face since there’s literally zero punishment for that unless it’s during a game for some reason. Why is violence domestically not acceptable but professionally is? Now players know that if Draymond can assault someone at work without consequence, they can too.

Anyway, I assume they’ll sign him after they figure out what he’s worth. I don’t think it’ll be a max contract. I suspect it’ll be a shorter term deal so he can re-establish his value and everyone can see if he’s able to make this a one time incident or not.

[Rays Pompadour]

Man Rod Boone is so freakin useless

He rarely shares anything we don’t already know. Rick took a lot of **** but he was more in tune with what was going on by far. I think the real problem is the observer though. They don’t invest in covering this team and it’s a pay wall to read anything of substance. Between that and the **** tv coverage they seem to get locally, it’s such an unnecessary uphill battle for this team.

You make a really good point, Rich. Hornets coverage, in just about every facet, is subpar. The Observer pulled way back during COVID and now get by with cursory treatment of the local NBA team. Jordan being MIA and Mitch's closed-door approach doesn't make it any easier to get content. Boone has to work to make something up.

As for Kupchak's desire to control a story, such as the Bridges fiasco, this can often result in NO story. And that adds to the pall around this moribund sports entertainment franchise. There's no buzz in the Hornets nest. The Observer plays a part in that.

But I put a great big heaping pile of blame on the Hornets in particular and the league in general. Care to visit the official Charlotte Hornets website? It doesn't exist. The web address www.charlottehornets.com redirects you to the NBA site. Want Hornets-related content? You have to go to social media or a message board or a fan site. Want to know how James Bouknight feels about being a stable boy in Greensboro most of the season? You'll have to interview him yourself, because the team won't offer this content, the league won't overstep the team and the media doesn't care.

I'm on a rant, now. One of the reasons we loved the original Hornets so much and filled the Hive to capacity for, what,10 years straight was because we got to watch the team play every game - for free (can you imagine?), and had access to the lives of the players. The Hornets were OURS, and for a time we were theirs. Fans connected with the franchise.

How do we do that now? Watch games via pay service if you have the money; dig through Facebook of all places for player information and personal content; pay for an Observer account that's, frankly, massively overpriced; attend games at ridiculous prices for a losing team that not even the owner wants to come and watch. So, if you want your daily dose of all things Hornets, you'll have to pay, and pay handsomely.

Thank the good Lord for RealGM.

The Miles Bridges thing will shake itself out eventually. Don't you worry Mitch has it all under control. And I just have a difficult time giving a crap about it. None of the Hornets or Hornets-related entities care to change my mind about that with timely information or even nebulous content, so here I sit, framing my own opinion about things without someone there to shape it for me.

Missed opportunity, Charlotte Hornets. Missed opportunity.

[yosemiteben]

Care to visit the official Charlotte Hornets website? It doesn't exist. The web address www.charlottehornets.com redirects you to the NBA site.

You know that's the case for every NBA team, right?

Try going to lakers.com

[Rays Pompadour]

Care to visit the official Charlotte Hornets website? It doesn't exist. The web address www.charlottehornets.com redirects you to the NBA site.

You know that's the case for every NBA team, right?

Try going to lakers.com

Another good point. I have real difficulty giving a crap about this either. No offense, Ben.

I still can't connect with my home team without a paywall, and that's my rant.

[fatlever]

Care to visit the official Charlotte Hornets website? It doesn't exist. The web address www.charlottehornets.com redirects you to the NBA site.

You know that's the case for every NBA team, right?

Try going to lakers.com

Another good point. I have real difficulty giving a crap about this either. No offense, Ben.

I still can't connect with my home team without a paywall, and that's my rant.

honestly, your best bet is to simply subscribe to the 3-5 hornets pods on youtube/or wherever. i typically watch the lockedon hornets each day and then periodically hit the others as time/interest permits

[SWedd523]

Care to visit the official Charlotte Hornets website? It doesn't exist. The web address www.charlottehornets.com redirects you to the NBA site.

You know that's the case for every NBA team, right?

Try going to lakers.com

Another good point. I have real difficulty giving a crap about this either. No offense, Ben.

I still can't connect with my home team without a paywall, and that's my rant.

The point is valid.

The Team has been absolutely terrible with the grassroots and community outreach. With how easy it is to manipulate social media these days, you'd think they would be doing more to drum up support amongst the younger crowd, but it seems like they're just coasting. How easy would it be to have some sort of weekly community event? basketball tournament? Come play HORSE with Melo or a 3pt competition with Dell. Bring Muggsy and the other guys out to do stuff, cheerleader beach volleyball games, make a wish stuff, "fun" interviews and things along those lines.

It's too easy, even if it's just platitudes, to get fan appreciation going.

[LofJ]

We have an owner that told some kids that were excited to unexpectedly bump into him to **** off. The lack of fan engagement with the team is all on him. He could have made them Hornets fans for life, but nope it was more important to be a dick to excited kids.

[JDR720]

Wouldn't be surprised if MJ dislikes the fanbase. He's the type to hold grudges and probably doesn't like that most fans think he is a **** owner.

[Braggins]

Wouldn't be surprised if MJ dislikes the fanbase. He's the type to hold grudges and probably doesn't like that most fans think he is a **** owner.

I 100% believe this.

[JMAC3]

We have an owner that told some kids that were excited to unexpectedly bump into him to **** off. The lack of fan engagement with the team is all on him. He could have made them Hornets fans for life, but nope it was more important to be a dick to excited kids.

Jordan is probably like 5% of the equation tbh. Charlotte is a fair-weather fan base. Half the city are transplants and the Panthers/Hornets are their second favorite team. So, when Panthers are good tix are hard to find but as soon as they are fringe playoffs you can grab a game for nothing.

No doubt that if we had a young exciting team the city would like us, but they aren't going to get excited for a non-playoff team.

[SWedd523]

What's a better way to get the fair weather fans to become actual fans?

Completely blow them off and put in minimal to no effort, or actively try to bring them in. through community engagement.

You don't have to answer that, it was rhetorical.

[JMAC3]

What's a better way to get the fair weather fans to become actual fans?

Completely blow them off and put in minimal to no effort, or actively try to bring them in. through community engagement.

You don't have to answer that, it was rhetorical.

Jordan and Fan engagement is such a marginal part of it.

If Michael Jordan sat courtside and tweeted after every game about the team and spoke to the media once a month is doing nothing for the fans becoming more committed.

Winning is what matters in the city. If you want to blame Jordan for the lack of success on court then sure, but none of that rah rah stuff is swing the vote.

[SWedd523]

None of what I previously stated had anything to do with MJ being present at games.

You're right though. Better to not even try

[Liver_Pooty]

We have an owner that told some kids that were excited to unexpectedly bump into him to **** off. The lack of fan engagement with the team is all on him. He could have made them Hornets fans for life, but nope it was more important to be a dick to excited kids.

Jordan is probably like 5% of the equation tbh. Charlotte is a fair-weather fan base. Half the city are transplants and the Panthers/Hornets are their second favorite team. So, when Panthers are good tix are hard to find but as soon as they are fringe playoffs you can grab a game for nothing.

No doubt that if we had a young exciting team the city would like us, but they aren't going to get excited for a non-playoff team.

Way off topic, but what Raleigh has done with the Canes is unreal. One of the top 3 worst places flr opposing teams to play in the NHL regular season and especially playoffs. That place is rowdy.

[fatlever]

things jordan has done well as an owner
1. make money
2. provide jobs for friends and family
3. donate lots of money to local charities
4. fought in cba for small market teams
5. agree to take back hornets name
6. beat mkg and hendo at 1v1
7. slap players on tv
8. wear pleated jeans

thats probably it

[Braggins]

things jordan has done well as an owner
1. make money
2. provide jobs for friends and family
3. donate lots of money to local charities
4. fought in cba for small market teams
5. agree to take back hornets name
6. beat mkg and hendo at 1v1
7. slap players on tv
8. wear pleated jeans

thats probably it

I often forget about that slap lol. Sign of the times.

Read on Twitter

[yosemiteben]

Guess this is where I give my take that I don't care at all about owner involvement and that I'd be perfectly happy with a faceless PE firm owner that has no involvement at all other than owning the team.

[Snidely FC]

My disenchantment with ownership has more to do with what I perceive to be the Vision Thing in what makes a team we fans want to watch. They say the team has to make the playoffs to keep Lamelo, but what about building a roster and hiring a coach that maximizes his future potential stardom? Like Diop said in the draft thread next years starting backcourt is unlikely to change from Ball + Rozier despite potentially drafting Scoot Henderson. The team is likely -returning to this threads theme - to re-sign Miles while there is a possibility they draft Brandon Miller but Miller spends most of next season in Greensboro because there is no playing time behind Miles and other vets. Ownership has a long standing belief that you win with veterans, that young players must pay their dues, and that making the playoffs in the current year is more important to fans than building a future proof exciting young team. So we get Mason Plumlee featured until mid February. I’ve lost hope that this ownership gets modern NBA roster building right - that, not any sense of community, is my beef with ownership