There were high hopes last season for Brandon Miller as the second overall pick of the Charlotte Hornets in the 2023 NBA Draft. He is, after all, a 6-foot-9 wing with elite athleticism, all-court range, and three-level scoring. Indeed, Miller did show flashes of brilliance in his first two seasons, first putting up 17.3 points and 4.9 rebounds as a rookie and then averaging 21.0 points and 4.9 caroms last season.
Despite proving to be a solid player, there seemed to be something lacking in Miller. His contributions didn’t translate to wins, and his sophomore season was plagued by injuries. To put it bluntly, Miller was putting up empty stats in his first two seasons. He wasn’t necessarily playing winning basketball.
This season has been different. A fully healthy Miller is contributing to one of the NBA’s feel-good stories: a Hornets squad winning games and playing fun, dynamic basketball. The numbers speak for themselves, as Miller has been putting up 20.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.1 steals for the team that first gave him his shot in the NBA.
Importantly, Miller is making an impact. He’s still an explosive scorer, but he’s also become a better defender, using his length and elite athletic ability to level up the Hornets’ swarming defense. Miller has also been zoned in all season, consistently making winning plays and becoming one of the pillars of these young, emerging Hornets.
In other words, Miller has the look of a young player figuring things out. And this has helped Buzz City create quite the buzz in the league.
