Charlotte Hornets announce Miles Bridges injury update: What does it mean for Charles Lee's squad?

Matt Alquiza | Nov 7, 2024

Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The hits don’t stop coming for the Charlotte Hornets. Things in Uptown were finally starting to trend in the right direction for Charles Lee’s squad following Brandon Miller’s insane buzzer beater to knock off the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night, but a harrowing injury update in regards to starting power forward is hampering the mood in Buzz City. 

Miles Bridges injury update

Charlotte, already down key interior contributors Mark Williams and Nick Richards, gave this update on Bridges’ condition on Thursday evening: “The Charlotte Hornets announced MRI results today on forward Miles Bridges revealed a bone bruise in his right knee. The injury occurred after Bridges hyperextended his right knee late in the fourth quarter of the team’s win last night vs. Detroit. Bridges is listed as out vs. Indiana on Nov. 8 and will be reevaluated in two weeks."

Bridges briefly returned to action after spending some time on the bench, but hindsight makes it clear that his pumping adrenaline in a tight game made that possible. The injury comes at a disappointing time for Miles as Wednesday was his most impactful game of the 2024 season thus far. He finished with 27 points (8/14 shooting, 9/9 from the free throw line) and seven rebounds in a team high 35 minutes of action. 

What does this mean for Charlotte’s rotation? 

Next man up. Either Grant Williams or Cody Martin is likely to slot into the starting lineup and young bucks Tidjane Salaün and Moussa Diabate will be forced into even more strenuous action. The thin front court will continue to struggle against superior big men, and it's becoming more clear on the daily that Charlotte needs to make a move to fortify the paint while they weather this treacherous injury storm. The onus will fall onto LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Tre Mann to pick up the scoring load that will be sideline for the next two weeks. 

Charlotte’s upcoming two weeks, the duration of Bridge’s recovery time before his next evaluation, includes games against Indiana, Philadelphia, Orlando, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Brooklyn, and Detroit. 

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