The Charlotte Hornets and their fans have been enamored with the selection of Brandon Miller from Alabama for days now since the 2023 NBA Draft. What they didn't expect was for Nick Smith Jr. to steal the show in the NBA's Summer League on Tuesday.

Smith Jr., a 2023 first round pick out of Arkansas, lit up the scoreboard on Tuesday against the Portland Trail Blazers in what could one day be seen as his arrival onto the scene as a star.

The Hornets recently made a surprising mistake in free agency. They've made plenty of great moves this offseason however, and the drafting of Smith Jr. is starting to look like one of them. Smith scored 33 points on the day, catching fire and shooting over 50% from the field.

Smith Jr. is a 6-foot-5, 185 pound guard. With his ability to put up points in bunches, he is the prototypical Southeastern Conference combo guard who can get hot in a hurry from downtown and is also equally comfortable on the defensive end at times. Together with Miller, the Hornets have suddenly gotten a lot more athletic and explosive, if Tuesday's action is any indication.

If Smith Jr. is to live up to his potential as a first round pick with the Hornets, he will need to keep up the hot shooting. He shot just 37.5% from the field last season for the Razorbacks, scoring 12.5 points per game but leaving a lot of points on the table. Smith Jr. averaged 74% from the free throw line, a stat he could further mold into one of his biggest strengths with the Hornets as his career reaches its infancy stages in the league.

Along with Smith Jr., his teammate Miller has been drawing plenty of hyped reactions from around the NBA. The hope now is that it continues into the Summer and beyond for a beleaguered Hornets franchise.