2023 NBA Draft: Breaking Down G League Ignite’s Leonard Miller

Leonard Miller a year ago was looked at as the boom or bust of the draft. Now, he's one of the most productive players we’ve seen play for the G League Ignite. What does he bring to the table?

Leonard Miller stands at 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan. He’s one of the most unique prospects in the draft as there’s not really any NBA players that he compared to. Let’s dive into his strengths and what he brings to the table.

Finishing Ability

Miller is an elite finisher around the rim. The Ignite forward shot a shade under 70% at the rim. What impresses scouts is how incredible he is with his off-hand. Miller is left-handed naturally but you can’t even tell on a lot of his finishes at the rim. The 6-foot-10 forward has elite touch with both hands and possesses a ton of versatility as a finisher.

He has the ability to finish above the rim with his 38-inch vertical, he can finish in traffic, through contact, and has unique slashing tools. Miller has a good handle for someone at that size and legitimately knows how to use his handle to get to his spots. The long strides he’s able to take along with his unique body contortion at the rim leads to some crafty finishes that we don’t often see from players at his size.

Unique Talent

Miller is one of the most skilled forwards in the entire draft. At 6-foot-10 he has shown some tough shot-making flashes from inside the arc. Some people aren’t aware of this but before he joined the G League Ignite program he was considered a point forward last year due to that being his role. The flashes he has shown with his vision and passes are so enticing.

He has secondary playmaking upside which is unique given his size. One thing that makes Miller interesting is how elite his touch is. He nearly shot 80% from the free throw line so there’s a ton of optimism that he could develop a consistent 3-point shot. The shot mechanics need some work, but with proper development and tweaks to his shot, I believe he’ll be a reliable shooter in the NBA.

Impressive Tools

Miller has some of the most enticing tools in the entire draft. As stated before, he stands at 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan which is above average size and length for a forward. The lengthy forward is quite mobile, athletic, and has unique movement skills. As of right now, he’s a negative defender that’s still trying to figure out how to maximize his tools but the defensive upside is so intriguing.

There’s potential there for him to be a high level defensive playmaker in the passing lanes and at the rim. There were some flashes throughout the season of him making great rotations to contest or block a shot at the rim. He even had a few really great plays switching out onto a guard and clamping that guard up out in space. Miller is a very good rebounder due to his high motor, vertical pop, and size. The rebounding goes well with his guard like skills as he has grab and go ability which is what he often did this past season for Ignite.

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