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Charlotte Hornets rookie Brandon Miller's NBA Summer League has come and gone. Hornets Nation finally got an extended two-week glimpse at their No. 2 overall pick from the 2023 NBA Draft.
Miller's debut stint in NBA Summer League was certainly a mixed bag. The 6-foot-9 forward got off to a rough start during Charlotte's two games at the California Classic in Sacramento. He averaged just 12.0 points but tallied 15 fouls and 10 turnovers in two outings.
In Las Vegas, Miller got more comfortable with each passing game, but he didn't start off on the right foot either. The 20-year-old went just 5-of-15 from the field in a showdown of the top two picks in the 2023 NBA draft against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs. The Alabama standout then followed that up with a horrendous 4-of-18 shooting night in a 93-75 drubbing at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Fortunately, Miller ended his Vegas tilt on a high note. The Hornets rookie scored a tournament-high 26 points on 8-of-17 shooting from the field. He also went 8-of-11 from the foul line.
After his performances in Las Vegas, Charlotte fans may be worried that the franchise made a mistake in selecting him at No. 2 over someone like Scoot Henderson. With that said, let us talk about the Hornets' biggest concerns for Brandon Miller after seeing his NBA Summer League stint.
Excessive fouling
Perhaps the biggest concern from Miller's stint in Summer League was his excessive fouling. As mentioned, he had seven and eight fouls, respectively to open his professional career during the two games at the California Classic. He went on to average 4.7 fouls per game in three games in Las Vegas.
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The Hornets drafted Miller not just for his scoring upside and ability to contribute on offense in a multitude of ways. They also drafted him because of his two-way potential, which means they are counting on him to be as good on defense as he is on the other side of the floor. However, that defensive acumen did not translate as much in Summer League. His tendency to foul is an early indication that he needs to work on his defense in the NBA.
Miller's fouling suggests that he still lacks plenty of discipline on that end of the floor. Of course, this issue could be fixed through more reps and undergoing several film sessions which can help him learn about the ropes of playing defense correctly. Miller did get better in controlling his fouls as Summer League went along. Miller will likely encounter the same problems with better competition come October. The Hornets certainly hope he can clean up that part of his game throughout the season.
Inconsistency and shooting too, but it's expected
Inconsistency is par for the course for most incoming rookies in the NBA. Brandon Miller shouldn't be an exception to that. Heck, even Victor Wembanyama, who is supposedly a generational talent, even struggled with his shot in his first taste of Summer League hoops.
Nonetheless, Miller's shooting woes should still concern Hornets fans a little bit. Through three games in Las Vegas, Miller shot a dreadful 35.4 percent from the field and 26.1 percent from beyond the arc. Of course, that horrendous 4-of-18 shooting performance in his second game skewed his percentages significantly.
Miller did find his rhythm in his last Summer League outing where he dropped 26 points on a pretty decent 8-of-17 shooting clip. He also went 2-of-4 from beyond the arc. With that said, Hornets fans should expect an up-and-down rookie campaign from the 20-year-old.
