One of the few bright spots this year in what was an otherwise dismal campaign for the Charlotte Hornets was the play of rookie small forward Brandon Miller, who was drafted out of the University of Alabama last summer. After a disappointing summer league, some believed that Miller would not pan out at the NBA level as compared to his lottery projections; however, during the season, the Hornets rookie flashed impressive shooting, playmaking, and defense, and ultimately finished the season at third place in the Rookie of the Year voting behind only Chet Holmgren of the Oklahoma City Thunder and winner Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs, earning a nod to the All-Rookie first team in the process.
One of the first players that comes to mind when watching Miller's game is Los Angeles Clippers star Paul George due to the combination of size, agility, and shooting touch that both play with. Miller has actually gone on the record before as saying that George is his GOAT, or greatest of all time, which makes sense, as Miller would have been growing up and falling in love with the game right around the time George was dominating with the Indiana Pacers.
Now, Miller is breaking down his experience actually playing against and attempting to guard his idol during his first season in the NBA.
“I was locking him up early, I came out, and then he just started trippin’ I ain’t never seen somebody make this many shots. He just, back and forth, coming off screens, 3’s, mid-range, step-back mid-range,” said Miller, via The Knuckleheads Podcast. “…It felt like real, he caught a ball, it was all ISO with him, I’m like, hey man, just chill bro, chill.”
George would end up scoring 41 on Miller's head in that late-March game, but that didn't stop the Clippers star from heaping praise on the Hornets rookie after the game had ended.
“It was fun. He's got a ton of game, he's going to be really good…I'm in his corner. I can't wait to see him fully blossom and be one of those guys that carries the league for a long time,” said George, via ClutchPoints.
“He could do a little bit of everything. Play-make, score, shoot it from deep, put the ball on the ground. He's still figuring his body out, so he has a ton of upside. What's most impressive is all the things that he can do for his age. At some point he's going to figure everything out.”
An impressive season
As previously mentioned, Miller may well be the lone bright spot on a Hornets team, especially considering that point guard LaMelo Ball has already racked up an extensive injury history in his relatively short time with the franchise.
Moving forward, the Hornets would figure to view Miller more and more as a building block as they look for a way to start to be competitive once again in the Eastern Conference, where they haven't made the playoffs in eight years.
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