All Eyes on Brandon Miller
Back in May 2023, the Hornets jumped up in the lottery from 4th to the 2nd pick in the draft, marking their highest draft selection since Emeka Okafor in 2002.
Their was much discourse across the NBA world around the better choice at No. 2 between Brandon Miller and Scoot Henderson, but the Hornets decided to select Miller captivated by his size, dynamic shooting, and ability to be a high IQ decision maker with the ball in his hands.
The high upside rookie joins a young core consisting of LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, Mark Williams and PJ Washington as Charlotte continues pursuit of their first playoff appearance since 2016, the longest active playoff drought in the NBA.
Miller may not be the most athletic or flashy player but Charlotte fans should be extremely excited for what they have in him. The 20-year-old averaged 18.8 points per game in his lone season at Alabama and shot 38.4% from the three-point line on 7.5 att. Mirroring his game after 8x All-Star Paul George, Miller is a crafty and elusive player with the ability to make counters off the dribble, create his own shot, play at his own pace, and score at all three levels. He's going to turn heads at the NBA level and potentially grow into the consistent scorer that Charlotte needs to reach that next level of sustained success at a playoff level.
The energy around Charlotte through media day and training camp has been higher across players and staff than ever before and a large part of that is due to the excitement around Brandon Miller.
Steve Clifford on media day: "He's one of the quickest learners so far I've ever been around in 20+ years.. I've already had a number of the older guys say he's going to help us right away."
Garnering praise from Steve Clifford who's notoriously a tough coach on younger players is one thing, but praise to this extent really speaks to the type of player Miller is.
Like Clifford said this excitement extends on to the players on the roster as they're all anticipating Miller's debut. "He's huge. He's definitely one of the guys I'm most excited about watching. That boy can hoop... I'm excited to see his growth already. He definitely belong in this league," said Terry Rozier.
The reoccurring theme with Miller is the pace he plays at. Charlotte has been impressed with his poise and ability to control the game as a rookie. "I've been impressed with his ability to be poised in the pockets, to make the right reads in P&R's. He doesn't get sped up to much which is rare in young players," said Gordon Hayward.
"I think so too," said LaMelo Ball when told that guys on the team feel Brandon Miller will contribute this season.
The All-Star Guard also spoke about what the talented forward brings, "He's smooth, he's real smooth.. knows how to play the game and he's very athletic."
Newly re-signed forward PJ Washington who averaged a career-high 15.7 points last season has taken the rookie under his wing and is excited to watch him produce.
"His game speaks volumes. He can do anything on the court. Very happy with the way he's been working... he's doing everything to be successful in the league and I can't wait to see him play... I see myself in him a lot."
In a league that is continuing to grow towards jumbo sized do-it-all guards and wings, Brandon Miller fits perfectly in the modern NBA with his outside shooting and ability to make plays off the handle.
With being drafted at No. 2 the expectation for Brandon Miller is greatness, and something tells me that even if it's not greatness, Miller's going to be in this league for a long time.
