Why Brandon Miller? Mitch Kupchak Answers
Since the night the Charlotte Hornets were awarded the No. 2 overall pick in the NBA Draft Lottery, the entire NBA landscape went back and forth on what the team should do.
Should they take the explosive Scoot Henderson although he plays the point? Or should they take Brandon Miller, who is a better fit and without a doubt the best natural scorer in the draft class?
Apparently, Miller was the guy all along. Of course the Hornets did their due diligence by brining in well over 100 prospects for a pre-draft workouts, including two visits with both Henderson and Miller. But at the end of the day, they knew Miller was the guy they wanted.
“By taking him two I think that speaks the world of what I think of him," Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak said. "I know that there were other choices, but this kid is a dynamic wing, he’s got great size, athletic ability and shooting ability. You’ll see him bring it up the court, you’ll see him attack the rim. Like I said, one of the better shooters in the draft as an outgoing freshman, and in our league to get a player like that, we think he’s going to be a heck of a player. It wasn’t the easiest of decisions. There was a lot of spirited debate. I’ve always liked the kid, but to get a dynamic wing like that in this league, we think we’re fortunate.”
If it weren't for the off the court situation, Miller may have been the clear-cut No. 2 prospect. Like many teams, the Hornets had to investigate the matter and Kupchak explained that the results of their investigation is what led to them being comfortable drafting Miller.
“With all our picks, especially high picks, we do a lot of due diligence. When you’ve got the number two pick, especially when there’s been an incident – that’s not to say we wouldn’t do as much background research with someone else – but we’re aware of it. I can’t begin to tell you all the people we’ve talked to. Buzz (Peterson) and I went to Birmingham and Tuscaloosa to chat with them. We talked to a lot of people in the legal system to get a comfortable level of what took place beyond what we read. I don’t know if everyone in here knows what took place – you know what you read. We thought it was important for us to get as much information as possible firsthand. We drafted him, so that tells you that we’re comfortable.”
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