The Charlotte Hornets rolled into Ohio to face the Cleveland Cavaliers and lost 115-92. It was a tight first quarter to begin the game, but the Cavs started to break away in the second. On the bright side, Brandon Miller seems to have found his groove in the offense again.
Charlotte's rookie finished with 24 points on 8-of-18 shooting from the field and eight rebounds. Solid all around game for a rookie that has only gotten more seasoned throughout the season. It has been a rough stretch of games for him as of late.
Steve Clifford reacts to how teams are guarding Brandon Miller
“He got off to a good start,” Clifford said. “They [Cavs] were aggressive with him too, but he had a good stretch in the beginning of the third quarter that got us going a little bit. He's just getting so much attention that he doesn't get a lot of easy baskets anymore.”
Clifford is spot on. Without LaMelo Ball in the lineup due to injury and Gordon Hayward since he was traded, the court has shrunk significantly. All the focus has been put on both Miller and Miles Bridges. It is easier to game plan for two perimeter guys that are probably better suited to play off the ball. Without a traditional point guard, keying in on the hot man makes life easier on defenses.
In Miller's last six games, he hasn't shot over 43 percent from the field. It has been a lot of cold stretches for him since teams have probably figured out how to slow down a one-man show to some degree. That's why having a little more of an efficient game from the field feels like it could be the perfect start to end the season strong. The last 11 games of the season for Charlotte will be a good way to evaluate talent on the roster of course, but the biggest microscope will be on the no. 2 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
All-Rookie first team should be a lock for Brandon Miller
Brandon Miller is averaging 16.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game this season. He fluctuated around the top five of the Rookie of the Year Ladder most of the season. He's currently at three behind Chet Homgren of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs. So with the center and one of the forward spots locked down, one of the other ones will surely go to Miller. After carrying the offense for stretches throughout this season, it seems like a safe assumption.
The Hornets take on the Cavaliers again on March 27th, but this time it will be at home. It'll be a way for them to get some payback after what took place Monday night and tie up the season series between the two. They'll also see them on the last game of the season as well. Might as well finish strong against an Eastern Conference foe.
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