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Three Hornets Who Can Replace Kemba Walker’s Production in 2019

By Luke Tucker

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 22: Miles Bridges #0 of the Charlotte Hornets reacts after a play against the Washington Wizards during their game at Spectrum Center on February 22, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 22: Miles Bridges #0 of the Charlotte Hornets reacts after a play against the Washington Wizards during their game at Spectrum Center on February 22, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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These three Charlotte Hornets have a real opportunity to replace Kemba Walker’s scoring in 2019

Earlier this NBA offseason, the Charlotte Hornets parted ways with the franchise’s all-time leading scorer in Kemba Walker. After Walker reportedly told the Hornets he would stay in Charlotte for less than a max contract, the organization still managed to let the All-Star get away. Walker accounted for nearly a quarter of the team’s points last season, and will be difficult to replace. As hard as it will be to take the now-Celtic’s place, here are three players who have a chance to do so in the upcoming season.

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – FEBRUARY 27: PJ Tucker #17 of the Houston Rockets battles for a loose ball against Miles Bridges #0 of the Charlotte Hornets during their game at Spectrum Center on February 27, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – FEBRUARY 27: PJ Tucker #17 of the Houston Rockets battles for a loose ball against Miles Bridges #0 of the Charlotte Hornets during their game at Spectrum Center on February 27, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

Miles Bridges, Forward

After struggling to find his place for the first two-thirds of his rookie season, Miles Bridges gave a glimpse of his enormous potential over the final two months of the 2018-2019 season. With the franchise’s all-time leading scorer now in Boston, it’s fair to assume a lot will be expected of the 21-year-old. The hope for Bridges is that he can continue to build on the progress he made towards the tail-end of last season and be a top scoring option for Charlotte.

Bridges didn’t start a single game prior to the All-Star break, and often times, when he was on the court, it was a bit of a struggle for the rookie. However, after the break, Bridges started each of the 25 games he played in, and experienced much better results. He shot nearly 50% from the field over that span, including 35.1% from beyond the arc. Those numbers were easily the best of his pro or collegiate career. Compared to Walker over the same time frame, the high-flying dunker actually had the higher percentage from both two and three-point range.

As far as an increase in playing time, Bridges should get significantly more minutes this season, not only because of his improved level of play, but also because of offseason departures. Aside from Walker, Jeremy Lamb is gone, allowing Nic Batum to presumably slide back into the starting shooting guard role. This will allow Bridges to become the unquestioned starter at small forward, and will erase the split in minutes between he and Batum. Losing the team’s all-time leading scorer is never desirable, however, if Bridges can continue to craft his game, and continue to be a more efficient scorer, Walker’s absence won’t sting quite as much.

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