This image is a derivative of 2013 Charlotte Hornets 1 by Michael Tipton (CC BY-SA 2.0)

The Charlotte Hornets haven't featured in the playoffs since their 2015-16 NBA campaign. They haven't won more than 39 games in a season since then, managing just 23 wins across the 65-game 2019-20 season, rarely getting within even a sniff of post-season basketball. 

Yet, finally, they're making strides. 

That eye-sore 2019-20 season netted the Hornets LaMelo Ball, who has taken the league by storm despite the strange and difficult-to-measure hype around him as he approached the NBA. The one-time Illawarra Hawk won the Rookie of the Year award in 2020-21 and has played a significant part in their encouraging start to the 2021-22 season. 

Gordon Hayward is the recognised name behind Ball, but the 31-year-old - signed through to the end of the 2023-24 season - is ideally the third option for the offence. Consistency has been an issue for the often-injured forward this season however his availability has always been his biggest struggle, yet he has managed to start all 26 games this season. His shooting numbers are down, but his 37.8% from beyond the arc still needs defending.

Hayward still offers a lot when his shot isn't dropping, too. Missing troops and against a Philadelphia 76ers team that had beaten the Hornets 14 times on the bounce already, Hayward made up for his 5-19 shooting with nine assists and zero turnovers for a +9 plus-minus. 

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But Charlotte needs a second long-term star to partner Ball and Miles Bridges is shaping up as a strong candidate.

With Ball, Jalen McDaniels, Mason Plumlee, Terry Rozier and Ish Smith now out for at least 10 days in Health and Safety protocols, it's time to get a clear picture of how well this rebuild, and especially Bridges, is developing.

Bridges is playing out a Most Improved Player-contending season. The Hornets tried their luck in offering Bridges a four-year $60 million extension over the summer however at this stage it looks as though they're going to be paying a lot more to keep him in North Carolina beyond 2022. 

A lot of his improvements in counting stats can be attributed to more minutes and opportunities. It's the fact he has stepped up whenever he has been asked that should also play a part in MIP voting when the time comes. 

With the four players ruled out for their game against the Atlanta Hawks, Bridges once again came up with the goods to score 32 points along with four rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block. He did it on both sides of the ball promoting coach James Borrego to start talking about Bridges as the second guy, particularly within the offence:

"He stepped up huge. Made threes, got to the rim. He's made big shots for us all year. I know Terry (Rozier) has been known for that on our team but when you look at this season, Miles has made as many big shots as anyone this season. Miles was fantastic, played with great poise out there and confidence."

Even without the MIP consideration, Bridges' numbers for the season are impressive.

The 23-year-old was averaging one block per game before failing to register one against the 76ers last time out. When you consider the fact that Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis and Karl-Anthony Towns are the only three other players in the NBA averaging 20+ points, 7+ rebounds 1+ steal and 1+ block per game, it becomes clear that Bridges is taking his game to another level.

Bridges does need to improve as a shooter and find different ways to create his own shot. His performance against the 76ers while three of his point guards sat in Health and Safety protocols proved he still has some work to do in that department. He's not short of opportunities to develop in isolation, though. Increasing from 4.8% of his total possessions coming in isolation last season to 9.1% this season, his points per possession has dropped from 0.84 to 0.78. 

However, with Charlotte's high-octane and positionless style of play with the ball, Bridges can always put himself into positions to use his athleticism. 

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The Hornets are 5th in the NBA in effective field goal percentage at 53.9% and their 38.8% from beyond the arc is good for 2nd. When you have a pin-point passer in LaMelo Ball controlling the offence and a spread floor laden with long-range shooters that test every screen, Bridges doesn't have trouble getting to spots on the floor that he can turn into points.

Ball sends 26.4% of his passes to Bridges - the most of any teammate. Those translate into 2.4 assists per game. The pair are developing a dangerous partnership with the ball and it's Bridges' impact in defence that can take them a step further.

Bridges can defend anywhere on the court. He's often matched up against the opposition's best wing player to start and it isn't uncommon for him to defend at centre where Basketball-Reference estimates he has spent 21% of his minutes. He's long and active to average almost a block per game while his 1.4% steal percentage puts him in the 74th percentile.

Bridges is developing into an elite two-way player and the perfect foil for Ball as the Hornets strive to build into a championship contender.

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Outlook for 2022 & beyond

The Hornets tipped the season off in the 'fun, but not great' portion of the season preview.

It's safe to say that the "fun" prediction has well and truly come in. While they're not great yet, the Hornets are on a promising path. 

Like the Atlanta Hawks, the Hornets have gone all-in on trying to outscore the opposition. Forget defence. The foundations of this rebuild are being built on offence. In Ball, Bridges and Hayward, Charlotte plays with an exceptional blend of freakish talent, athletic ability and a veteran presence.

Their salary cap situation is promising. P.J. Washington has always 'looked' like a player with a lot of potential. His issue is staying on the court for long enough to start playing up to it. Kelly Oubre Jr has been excellent to start this season, Terry Rozier will always be able to score, and James Bouknight and JT Thor showed positive signs in their rare chance to play 20+ minutes with players unavailable against the 76ers.

This group can stay together for the long run if the figures match up.

It's all about winning games for the Hornets this season. They're doing that at a 0.538 rate - the fifth-best winning clip in franchise history. But most importantly, it's winning games in a fashion that promotes more wins in the not too distant future.

It's Ball and Bridges continuing to link up and develop as a duo.

It's Hayward finding his shot and slotting in as a very, very good third or fourth guy.

It's Washington staying on the floor and maximising his versatility.

If the Hornets can win games while also achieving all three of the above this season, it won't be long before we're consistently putting them within the playoff seeds and up towards the Eastern Conference contenders.

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