Evaluating the Potential and Upside of Brandon Miller
The Hornets rookie had nearly a perfect game against the Orlando Magic, but how high is his upside?
All year, Brandon Miller has defied expectations with his stellar play. Coming into the season, many doubted the Charlotte Hornets’ selection of him with the second overall pick. Several critics believed they should have selected Scoot Henderson, who went to the Portland Trail Blazers with the next pick. But Miller has averaged 17.3 points per game this season, and is on track to finish third in the NBA’s Rookie Of The Year race behind the San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama and the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Chet Holmgren.
Recently, Miller has arguably his best individual game yet at the NBA level. He scored 32 points o while shooting 11-for-13 from the field. He also converted 5 of his 6 attempts from beyond the arc. He scored 26 of these 32 in the first half, in which he didn’t miss a single shot.
Still though, Miller’s potential typically does not get the credit it deserves. With his baseline of skills standing at 6-foot-9, he’s one of the NBA’s premier young prospects at 21 years old.
Miller is already an elite NBA shooter. He consistently nails catch-and-shoot looks with volume. Not only are these stationary looks, but also come off movement and over heavy contests. Off the dribble, Miller hasn’t shot with too much volume yet from deep, but he’s been deadeye from the mid range. This mid-range mastery has been key as he continues to work on his scoring at the rim. This mastery ranges from pull-ups to floaters and runners with Miller’s silky soft touch. His elite handle and movement skills are also rare for a 6-foot-9 and help him create his own shot with proficiency.
With special shooting and handling ability as well as touch and craft at 6-foot-9, the Miller is one of the NBA’s best prospects. This foundation of tools at his height gives him a larger margin for error than shorter ball handlers and a path to future superstardom.
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