Brandon Miller was picked second in the draft by the Charlotte Hornets – a very controversial final decision by outgoing owner Michael Jordan at the time. But in the shadow of Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren, the forward has blossomed and the decision in favor of Miller is now welcomed by many.
Brandon Miller probably won’t soon forget his draft workout for the Charlotte Hornets. As the 21-year-old told Paul George’s podcast, he clashed with Michael Jordan, the then owner of the Hornets. During the workout, Miller saw Jordan airball a free throw. When MJ began an animated trash talk with Miller during the workout, Miller countered with a derogatory comment about Jordan’s embarrassing free throw performance.
Both can laugh about it today, because the Charlotte Hornets’ choice to draft Miller second overall could be an important step for the franchise out of the NBA basement. After Jordan sold the team in August 2023, Brandon Miller looks like one of the best draft decisions of his official career so far, it was his last. Although MJ was primarily an owner, His Airness always wanted a say in draft picks.
The decision was by no means an easy one. Many experts saw Scoot Henderson ahead of Brandon Miller for the second pick in the draft because of his fierce charisma. In fact, Miller only drew attention to himself as a potential top-three pick during his freshman season.
Miller’s draft profile promised an athletic, tall player who also had a graceful jump shot and a good feel for the ball. His rates in college support these statements (18.8 PTS, 8.2 REB, 2.1 AST on 43 percent from the field, 38.3 percent 3P, 85.9 percent FT). Because of his abilities and physical abilities, Miller was compared to wingers such as Paul George (whom he himself described as his role model several times) or Andrew Wiggins. However, the offensive talent showed weaknesses when it came to shots around the basket.
Brandon Miller: The first impression of the NBA is promising
The first 50 games of Miller’s NBA career can in many ways fulfill the high expectations coming out of college. While his draft rival Henderson is still looking for his role (and especially his shooting) in the NBA, Miller is impressively managing to establish his style of play in the NBA as well. His full-season stats read similar to his college numbers.
This is an impressive achievement given the fact that the NBA clearly stands out from the college level in terms of physicality, speed of play and individual class, and the Hornets often sent just five players of NBA quality onto the field for many games. Ask yourself: What do players like Leaky Black, Bryce McGowens, Theo Maledon or JT Thor do to you?
Brandon Miller: The (re)discovery of the middle distance
If you analyze Miller’s offensive game, it becomes clear what advantage the 2.05 meter tall body with a wingspan of almost 2.20 meters brings. Be it mid-range throws or three-pointers in tight defense, Miller’s long arms and natural throwing motion always allow him to finish with a quality throw over his opponent.
In addition, Miller’s ball handling seems solid enough to be able to compete at the NBA level. This allows him to put the ball on the ground even with little space and to be able to create his own throw. The combination of physicality and dribbling ability has given Miller a new dimension in his game this season: the throw from mid-range .
While he neglected the mid-range shot in Alabama’s system of layups and threes in college, he is now showing skills last seen in high school! Miller is taking 40 percent of his shots from mid-range this season, putting him in the top 10 percent of all NBA players, according to Cleaning the Glass. He hits the midrangers with a solid 43 percent. That doesn’t make him a mid-range maestro à la Kawhi Leonard or Brandon Ingram, but it does show a promising tendency for the versatility of his game.
Brandon Miller: Great 3-and-D potential
The feeling of throwing from the middle distance is also reflected in his rates from outside the three-point line. With clever positional changes, Miller is always a good passing point when one of his teammates moves to the basket. If Miller can maintain his touch, his ability to finish from anywhere in any situation will make him an offensive weapon that opposing defenses must respect.
Defensively, Miller’s performance must be seen relative to the fact that the Hornets have one of the worst defenses in the league with a defensive rating of 119.1 (but: 98.6 in the last five games – NBA best). Nevertheless, Miller continues to show approaches that can make him a potent defender. Charlotte often put Miller against the opponent’s best guards; the rookie often had to pay the price, but he still did well.
His length allows him to disrupt opposing teams’ build-up play and defend multiple positions. In addition, he has good instincts and a visible defensive motivation, which is occasionally visible in spectacular chase down blocks or clever blocking of passing lanes. So, it’s safe to assume that with more help around him, he would be a defender that strengthens a team defensively.
Particularly noteworthy is the offensive development Miller has shown over the past month. In the last fifteen games, his scoring in particular has improved. He put up over 20 points per game and scored 30+ points twice. He takes more three-pointers per game and hits them acceptable (36 percent). In general, it seems as if he is finding his rhythm more and more. The shots are well considered and he knows more and more how to use his physical advantages in different game situations .
Why Miller doesn’t play a role in Rookie of the Year
A first point is the passing game, which is only rudimentary. According to Cleaning the Glass, Miller is currently in the bottom 20 percent of all players when it comes to assists relative to possession. This impression is also confirmed in Miller’s game analysis. His overview of the game is undoubtedly visible in some aspects. Especially from the pick’n’roll or in transition, he can read game situations and enable his teammates to easily finish. For the most part, however, Miller has been a score-first player so far.
A second point is the below-average completion rate at the ring. Miller only hits 52 percent of his shots at the ring, putting him in the bottom quarter of all players. The reason for this may well be his lack of assertiveness. At just 200 pounds, it’s hard to use your body to your advantage at the ring in an era of elite shot blockers. This is also reflected in his free throw attempts. Miller only goes to the free throw line about twice per game, he rarely seeks contact and instead tries to finish with finesse.
Brandon Miller: The Hornets have the right guy
Nevertheless: With Miller in their ranks, the Charlotte Hornets have now made the right choice in last year’s draft. Even if you ignore Scoot’s current problems, it still shows that Miller, with his diverse and efficient scoring, can be exactly the right partner at LaMelo’s side. Compared to Scoot, Miller doesn’t need the ball in his hands but is dangerous on offense as an off-ball player. With LaMelo and Miller, the Hornets have two young and promising players who they should specifically flank with experienced veterans. Seth Curry and Grant Williams are players who arrived at the trade deadline and can fulfill that role.
After all these years of bad moves, Jordan might have given the franchise a gift with his last game-changing decision. The road to relevance is still long, but at least there is a foundation that can sell a little hope. Because there was no hope in the Queen City for a long time.
2024-02-26 08:37:00
#Brandon #Miller #choice
