NBA: 5 players from the 2018 NBA Draft who will break out in 2019-20

Miles Bridges, Charlotte Hornets 

While he’ll have a breakout year

Someone on the Charlotte Hornets has to put the ball in the basket this year right? Maybe that’s flawed logic and they’ll just score 70 points per game, but outside of Terry Rozier and Nicolas Batum is there anyone on this team that is a guarantee to average double figures now that Kemba Walker is gone? Enter Miles Bridges, the third bridge in this article after balsa and Mikal if you’re scoring at home.

Bridges having a breakout season is more of a reflection of his opportunity and physical attributes rather than his play during his rookie season, but that could be enough. Bridges has the size and freakish athleticism to be a really productive player. His shot is a work in progress, but he showed flashes of the potential in his all-around game in 2019. A combination of his natural progression and a team in desperate need of someone to step up should all but force Bridges to have an improved sophomore season.

Why he might not have a breakout year

It feels awful to say, but it might be possible that he’s just not very good. I’m obviously holding out hope, I wouldn’t have put him on this list if I wasn’t, but he definitely gave people reason to doubt him after a lackluster season.

Heck, even Bridges himself admitted to not having a great rookie season. It’s certainly not abnormal for rookies to struggle and it isn’t easy to just show up and be great right away, but this is the year that Bridges needs to show some growth.

The opportunity is there, the skill set is there, and he now has a year of experience to build off of as he goes through his first full offseason as a pro. In my opinion, if Bridges doesn’t show that he’s ready for a bigger role on this team, then it may never happen for him. Fair or unfair, it’s time for him to take advantage, he likely won’t ever be on a roster this depleted again.