Hornets encouraged by Brandon Miller's early production

TROY HULL | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Charlotte Hornets wing Brandon Miller scored a career-best 22 points to go with nine rebounds and two assists Monday in the Charlotte Hornets' 133-121 loss to the Detroit Pistons.

Brandon Miller is playing like a second-overall pick, and the Charlotte Hornets (1-2) will need more of the same from the 20-year-old to stay competitive in the Eastern Conference.

It’s been just three games, but it’s been clear since his first shot attempt on opening night that Miller would contribute immediately. Adding to his early career-best in each game, Miller totaled 22 points, nine rebounds and two assists on 43.7% from the field in Monday night’s 133-121 loss to Brooklyn.

Despite the Nets’ hot start – 42 points in the opening quarter – Miller’s 16 first-half points eclipsed his season-average entering the night and kept Charlotte within striking distance. The rookie wasn’t pleased with the team’s performance following the game, despite a career night.

“I think the performance was great, but at the end of the day, we lost,” Miller said. “I think we’ll just come in here tomorrow and get better and then go (to Houston) and try to get a win against a tough crowd and a great team.”

Charlotte now starts a three-game road trip with stops in Houston, Indiana and Dallas before returning home on Nov. 8 against Washington. Through three games, Miller is third on the team in scoring at 17.3 points per game and is currently leading the Hornets with 2.3 made threes per contest, connecting on a 43.8% clip from beyond the arc.

Head coach Steve Clifford compared Miller’s basketball IQ and work ethic to that of Tracy McGrady.

“To play in this league, you’re talented, but (Miller) is one of the few guys, even within guys in this league – Tracy McGrady was like this – somebody would show him something, and he could do it that night. Miller, you show him something in the afternoon, and he can do it tonight,” Clifford said. “He has super high IQ and it comes easy to him.

“He sees what has to happen, whether it’s a technique thing on defense or you change something, and you don’t teach that. He learns quickly. He doesn’t need a lot of reps; that’s another thing in this league the better players don’t have to do something day after day – they can do it. The younger players coming into the league don’t have the foundation they used to years ago. He does.”

Class of ‘23

When Miller’s name was called second overall at the Hornets’ June draft party, Spectrum Center was filled with mixed reactions as boos rang through the arena for the wing – frustrated with Mitch Kupchak and now-minority owner Michael Jordan passing over Scoot Henderson from the G-League Ignite.

While it’s still way too early to tell, Miller has outperformed Henderson by a wide margin and is even edging top pick Victor Wembanyama adding slightly less value to San Antonio’s young roster.
Henderson has struggled out of the gate, making just one three-pointer in four games and averaging 8.3 points over 30 minutes a game. The Portland Trailblazers guard has a negative assist-to-turnover ratio and has turned the ball over four or more times in each game and fouled out in his most recent showing.

San Antonio and coach Gregg Popovich were never going to pass on Wembanyama at No. 1 overall, but it has been a learning process for the French phenom. Wembanyama played his career-best game against the Rockets in his second game, turning in 21 points and 12 rebounds in an overtime win despite not connecting on a three-pointer.

Each of the top three draft picks will have time to acclimate before they meet on the court in regular season action. Charlotte has two matchups with the Spurs in January (@San Antonio on Jan. 12, and at home on Jan. 19), and will visit Portland on Feb. 25 and conclude with a home matchup against the Blazers on April 3.

Miller is the only one not in the starting lineup despite playing the most minutes per game. 

Sixth man success

Terry Rozier said Miller “turned the game around for us” after Charlotte’s season-opening victory over Atlanta, and the rookie kept Charlotte competitive with Brooklyn off the bench on a night where LaMelo Ball scored just eight points in 21 minutes before fouling out with just under three minutes to play.

Even though Miller scored his career-best 22 points in Monday night’s loss, we learned the most about his game on Friday night against Detroit – when he went toe to toe with Pistons’ forward Isaiah Stewart – most known for bulldozing through a crowd in an attempt to settle a dispute with LeBron James in 2021.

Despite being 50 pounds lighter than Stewart, Miller didn’t shy away from the moment – which garners respect in the locker room, especially in the second game of his NBA career. In Charlotte’s most physical game yet, Miller helped set the tone off the bench, adding 17 points and six rebounds.

Miller’s minutes have climbed through three games, playing 25, 33 and 36 minutes – including seeing late-game minutes against Atlanta and Detroit, both of which were one-possession games in the fourth quarter. He’s shown flashes of a solid defensive presence, including causing consecutive turnovers and pinning Nets’ guard Cam Thomas off the glass in the second quarter.

Despite being Charlotte’s sixth man, Clifford says Miller will continue to play in crunch time.

“He can score in a lot of different ways,” Clifford said. “He also competes hard and plays well at both ends of the floor. He’s going to play big minutes. I don’t look at him when he’s out there as inexperienced or anything like that. He’s really good, and we’re lucky to have him. He’s going to be on the floor.”

The professional game has come naturally for Miller to start his career, and if he keeps this up, he should be in Clifford’s starting five.
 

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