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The Charlotte Hornets begin their five-game homestand with a game against the Miami Heat tonight. This game counts as a group stage match for the NBA In-Season Tournament. The Hornets have begun the tournament 1-0 after defeating the Washington Wizards. The Heat are also 1-0 in East Group B so this game is a battle for the top of the group standings.
The Hornets are once again off to a poor start and are projected to be one of the lottery teams in the East. Lamelo Ball is in his 4th year in the league and the Hornets have done nothing to get better in his tenure so far. They are consistently one of the worst teams in the league, while other rebuilding franchises in their conference like the Wizards, Pacers, Magic and Pistons have all taken significant steps toward improvement.
They are 3-6 in their first nine games with the 13th seed in the East. If they do not make the play-in tournament, at the very least, Ball could consider demanding a trade and moving to a different franchise where he can compete in the playoffs.
The Hornets just got new ownership after Michael Jordan sold his majority stake in the franchise, so they need to work hard to show they are serious about establishing a winning team.
The Charlotte Hornets have a stacked injury report for the game tonight. LaMelo Ball is available but James Bouknight, Miles Bridges, Cody Martin, Frank Ntilikina and Terry Rozier are all sidelined. Bouknight and Martin are recovering from left knee injuries; Ntilikina has a non-displaced fracture in his left tibia and Rozier is out due to a groin strain.
Meanwhile, Gordon Hayward and rookie Brandon Miller are listed as probable to play. Hayward is dealing with a right hamstring strain while Miller has a sprained left ankle.
The Miami Heat also have a stacked injury report ahead of this game. Tyler Herro and Caleb Martin are both out and RJ Hampton is sent to the NBA G League.
Miles Bridges might make his season debut with the Charlotte Hornets soon
Miles Bridges is expected to return to NBA action in the Charlotte Hornets' next outing against the Milwaukee Bucks after his suspension ends tonight. He was arrested for domestic violence and sentenced to prison. He was subsequently suspended from the NBA for 30 games, from which 20 games counted when he missed all of last season and the first 10 games of this season.
His return is a major controversial topic in the basketball community as the nature of the crime is heinous. He turned himself in after violating the domestic violence protection order. Many analysts and fans have condemned the franchise for turning a blind eye to his acts and his return might not be as celebrated outside North Carolina.
Miles Bridges will apparently be ready to play immediately with no conditioning required to get into game shape. He has been practicing with the team and has been training in the facility for weeks.
As reported by ESPN's Tim Bontemps, Coach Steve Clifford said:
"I think he'll be ready to play. He's able to practice every day. We're well organized when he's there. He's in really good shape. He's worked hard…he'll have a significant role right away."
Let's see if Bridges' addition helps the Charlotte Hornets enter into one of the play-in spots.
