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Why the 2024-25 Season Could Be Miles Bridges' Best Yet

Three reasons why this could be Miles Bridges' best season of his career.

Austin Leake

Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images

Miles Bridges put pen to paper this summer when he received a 75 million dollar contract that will keep him in Charlotte over the next three seasons. Bridges has dealt with off-the-court issues since 2022, but now he finds himself focused on basketball and ready to help the Charlotte Hornets to break their playoff drought that extends over eight seasons now.

Bridges has always been an elite inside threat, but last season he began to show his full skillset, which included mid-range jumpers, driving hook shots, corner three-pointers, and anything you would want to see from your starting forward. He averaged career-highs in points, rebounds, and three-pointers per game. Bridges looks to improve upon his previous season as he heads into his sixth year in the NBA. Below are three reasons why I believe he's primed for the best season of his career.

1. Help Around Him

Miles Bridges
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There's no question the Hornets were severely undermanned practically the entire season, which led to Miles Bridges having to take a more advanced role in the 2023-24. There were many games where Bridges was forced to be the #1 option, which was a tall ask, but he did a solid job when his number was called. LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, and Brandon Miller played less than 10 games together and because of that, it put a lot of pressure on Bridges to be the lead scoring option. It led to him having the full attention of the defense, as they were focused solely on him.

When the team is healthy and you add the other pieces together, then it can open up everyone's game on the Hornets, especially for Bridges who operates better when he has more pieces and other scoring threats alongside him. Throughout many games last season, Bridges had the ball in his hands more than he normally would when everyone was healthy, especially near the end of the shot clock, forcing him to throw up last-second heaves. With a healthy LaMelo Ball and Mark Williams, it should allow Bridges to operate more freely and allow the defense to focus on others outside of him, which should only further expand his game and make it tougher for opposing teams to defend the Hornets.

Although he might not average more points per game than he did in the 2023-24 campaign (21 ppg), you will see a more efficient Miles Bridges due to getting some of the key players back next to him in the Queen City. Also, you can't just forget about the dynamic duo that Bridges and Ball were back in 2021-22. Although they didn't spend much time on the court together last year, I'm certain the chemistry is still there between the two.

2. Full Off-Season To Prepare

Miles Bridges
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It can't be overstated how much Bridges needed a full off-season to get some rest, take some time off, and prepare for this upcoming season. There's no doubt that Bridges was a workhorse as he averaged 37.4 minutes played per game, which was fourth in the NBA, just behind the leader of minutes per game, Demar DeRozan's (37.8 minutes). Just to remind you, Bridges hadn't played for well over a year with all of his off-court issues and was ultimately thrown into a situation where he was playing practically 40 minutes each night.

Also, other than his first ten games of suspension, he only missed two games due to injury and one due to Toronto's rules preventing him from playing. Bridges has always been known as an "iron man," but it was clear at the end of the season that the 26-year-old was beginning to feel the wear and tear of the season. Now, with a full off-season to prepare and the rest under him, it should make things a lot easier on the forward. It also helps that it appears he is in better shape heading into training camp.

3. Charles Lee Coaching Style

Miles Bridges
Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images

If you haven't been paying attention, the Hornets have a new coach in the Queen City and his name is Charles Lee. He has a very unique coaching style that we've seen through his ten years of being an assistant coach around the NBA. Lee speaks on toughness, effort, defense, and much more. He's a very energetic and young coach, which I believe will resonate relatively well with Bridges and the rest of the team.

One of the weakest areas of Bridges' game last year was on the defensive side of the ball. Now, you could make the case that some of the reason he was lackluster on that end was due to the fatigue of the minutes he was playing and the Hornets' need for him to be their main offensive weapon. All of that I believe did have an effect of its own, but I believe that Coach Lee will get Bridges to lock in on the defensive end. Bridges has the tools to be a solid defender in the NBA with his athleticism and size, but he hasn't fully put it together. This is the year where he combines everything and makes it the best season of his career on both sides of the ball while putting the doubters regarding his defense and play to rest.

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Austin Leake
AUSTIN LEAKE

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