Brandon Miller Injects Necessary Hope Into Hornets Organization
The struggling Charlotte Hornets in recent years have had a lot going on off the court, and not so much on it, which leads to a huge need of a culture change.
Miles Bridges plead no contest to a felony domestic charge, and sat out all of last season. James Bouknight was found unconscious in his car, holding a firearm, and was charged with a DWI. Kai Jones has been put on leave, and won't join the team during training camp, after bizarre behavior online, where he called out his teammates. Former Hornet Montrezl Harrell was arrested with three pounds of marijuana found in his car.
Even rookie Brandon Miller - who this piece is about - was a controversial figure in college basketball last season due to his alleged involvement in supplying a gun that later led to the murder of 23-year-old Jamea Harris.
(Miller was never charged for a crime, and his lawyer - Jim Stanridge - insists Miller never touched the firearm.)
Clearly, the Hornets are in dire need of shedding their reputation as a franchise in shambles. New ownership will help in that regard, as will the possibility of Bridges not returning to the franchise after the conclusion of this season.
This leaves Miller and LaMelo Ball as the two forward-moving members of the team, who will lead them into their next era. And boy do they have their work cut out for them.
Miller, who called the aforementioned situation a "lesson learned", isn't just eager to put the past behind him, he's also eager to prove he was worth the selection of the second player drafted in this year's June draft.
When I interviewed him in New York the day before the draft, during prospect availability, Miller underlined his need to develop himself as a leader at the NBA level, and said he's working on being more vocal.
It's the right approach, for a multitude of reasons.
While Ball is an amazing talent, and just signed a max extension, it's fair to say he's yet to turn his talent into winning. With Miller alongside him, a player who is actively trying to take a leadership approach, Ball could choose to take an alternate path and lead by example, or mimic the approach of Miller, setting both of them up as the team's long-term locker room voices.
However, regardless of how much we talk about perceived leadership, and a change in culture, at the end of the day there's really only one solution: Winning.
This is where Miller needs to set his mark. Whether Scoot Henderson would have been the better pick or not - and that discussion will follow both of them for years - Miller has to take immediate ownership of his own role, and use his 6-foot-9 frame to simply produce.
If that means 20 points and eight rebounds per night, or if it means sacrificing his game to become this year's version of Keegan Murray, then so be it. But it starts with him.
Miller not only represents a necessary sidekick to Ball. He represents hope to the Charlotte fan base. For a team that routinely drafts poorly, and who lately have made more headlines for arrests than impressive play, no once can blame Hornets fans of closing their eyes, crossing their fingers, and hope Miller breaks this pattern of incompetence.
Mind you, even if Miller pops - and he should pop - that's just the start. The team will need to empower him, and Ball, to further that development. That likely means changes in the front office and the coaching staff eventually, as the organization hopes to be relevant by the middle of the 2020's.
Miller has all the opportunity in the world to reset the culture of this team. Now is the time to make the most of it.
Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.
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