How Does Brandon Miller Fit With the Charlotte Hornets?

It’s not crazy to think Brandon Miller would have been in serious contention for the 1st overall pick in each of the last three drafts (2020 Anthony Edwards,

It’s not crazy to think Brandon Miller would have been in serious contention for the 1st overall pick in each of the last three drafts (2020 Anthony Edwards, 2021 Cade Cunningham, 2022 Paolo Banchero). The 6’9 wing combines elite outside shooting with a well rounded defensive game and surprisingly good floor vision. However, due to the perceived strength of the 2023 NBA Draft Miller could end up going as low as 3rd or 4th depending how the lottery plays out. With the Hornets likely to select in that range, let’s dive into how he would fit in Charlotte

Brandon Miller -Wing/Forward, Alabama, Height 6'9, Wingspan 7'1

2022-23 Stats | 18.8 Points 8.2 Rebounds 2.1 Assists 2.2 Turn Overs 0.9 Blocks 0.9 Steals

42% Field Goal, 38.4% Three Point (7.5 Attempts per game), 85.6 Free Throw

Strengths 

Everything in these strengths and weakness sections will be looked at through a Hornets-specific lens.

Brandon Miller projects to be an elite shooter for someone with his size, a skill needed for a Hornets roster which finished last in the NBA in offensive efficiency this past season. Don’t be fooled by the 38% three point percentage, his shot diet was extremely difficult as opposing teams forced him into deep, contested shots. On the year he shot a staggering 70% on uncontested shots before a groin injury late in the season impacted his end of year shooting splits. You can see the quick footwork and beautifully quick release in the clip below.

What a performance by Brandon Miller yesterday in Alabama’s blowout win over LSU 👀 @brandmillerr

- 🔥 from deep (7 3PT)
- finishing at the rim keeps improving 📈 - utilizing hesitations, footwork in the mid-range, change of pace, more tools to get to his spots #NBADraft pic.twitter.com/FzwGQAbH7G

— No Ceilings (@NoCeilingsNBA) January 15, 2023

Miller’s playmaking impact steadily grew over the season, he ended the year with more possessions as the P&R ball handler (19.9%) than spot up (19.2%) or transition (19.2%) attempts. His overall efficiency won’t blow you away, but he showed some exciting flashes. He already has the “Hang” dribble mastered, and he gets to his spots through an array of spin moves, drop steps, and fade aways. He’s able to use his eyes and handle to manipulate the defense to find the roll man cutting to the rim, and shooters in the empty corners (see clip below). Miller has a good enough handle and playmaking instinct to take the half-court playmaking load off LaMelo Ball, giving Charlotte a much needed long-term creator.

Absolutely love Brandon Miller’s passing chops. Bama gets the switch, Miller beats Timme off the bounce, gets into the paint, and makes a beautiful mid air hit to the weakside with his off hand. So good.pic.twitter.com/hOdKsW28FZ

— NBA Draft Dude 🤙 (@CoreyTulaba) December 27, 2022

In transition, Miller excelled, scoring 1.2 points per possession. Those shot attempts came by filling the running lanes getting to the rim or by trailing as an outside shooter. He projects to fit well into the high paced NBA play style that replicates Nate Oat's system at Alabama. Playing with an elite point guard like LaMelo Ball who likes to play fast would fit into Miller’s play style well.

Defensively is where I think Brandon Miller is most underrated by draft evaluators. Miller uses his 7’1 wingspan to bother opposing players all over the floor. One skill that stood on film was Miller’s ability to contest almost every shot attempt, even when he's seemingly out the play from behind. These sometimes end up with big chase down blocks, a la Gerald Wallace, but often they don't show up in the box score while still impacting the shot. 

As we all know, defensive rebounding is a staple under Steve Clifford if you want to get on the floor and this is another of Miller’s strengths. As a rebounder he attacks the boards meeting the ball at the rim, he boxes out well, and grabs and goes for his team to get them out in transition as you can see in the clip below.

Brandon Miller has twice grabbed a rebound, pushed the ball in transition, and made an outstanding pass. He’s showing that he is not only a scorer, he’s a 6’9 playmaker. pic.twitter.com/pKndu9c3r1

— V̷a̷t̷o̷r̷ (@VatorSports) March 11, 2023

Miller has a knack for grabbing big offensive rebounds. He often gets his own misses showing good anticipation and second jump instincts. It’s safe to assume as Miller grows into his 6’9 body as he matures he will continue to improve as a plus rebounder for his position.

Overall, Miller has a unique combination of size, defense, shooting and creation. We didn’t always see it in college, but in high school Brandon Miller was known for his well developed mid-range game, which despite the threes and layup culture within the NBA is still important for several primary offensive options like Devin Booker, Jayson Tatum and Kevin Durant. Everyone has their views on his off-court incident, but one thing you can't argue is Miller's strong mindset to perform under pressure. Brandon Miller put up a season high 41 points while rightly or wrongly under the national media spotlight following a high profile murder case he was linked to.

Weaknesses

Read into the off-court drama and make your own decision on that one. Without all the details it’s difficult to pass judgement on how involved Miller was in the incident. There are however some on-court weaknesses we must dive deeper into.

Miller’s rim finishing was subpar in college. There was improvement over the season but he still overall graded out below Average on layups and only average on dunk attempts per Synergy. It’s clear Miller’s lack of explosion and strength at the rim hold him back from being a true three level scorer. How will he hold up against NBA calibre shot blockers if he struggled in the SEC?

Brandon Miller using his change of pace, and not forcing as many tough shots at the rim has really helped improved his efficiency at the rim.

First 9 Games - 40.0% (16-40)
Last 9 Games - 79.3% (23-29)

Here are a few halfcourt drives from Miller over Alabama's last two games pic.twitter.com/RWISQK6hpT

— Zach Milner (@ZachMilner13) January 18, 2023

I wouldn't call Miller weak, but as an older freshman (20yo) he is more of a finesse player with the ball in his hands. He will always fade away from contact and needs to be more aggressive against switched defenders. Defensively he can also get caught up on screens. In high school he often played center meaning his defensive fundamentals on the perimeter could be better.

The passing still has some ways to go before he can be trusted as a primary initiator. At times Miller forced passes in a packed paint but that should be less of an issue in a well spread NBA system.

There is some concern due to Miller’s limited athleticism he could struggle to impose himself onto games. He was effectively marked out of the Arkansas game as Hogs coach Eric Musselman made Alabama’s other offensive threats beat them. Miller's first step wasn't enough to consistently force his will on offense, sure he often made the right play but he's not a "put the team on my back" kind of player at this stage.

Finally, Miller didn’t fair well in isolation or post up defensive situations where he was graded as “Below Average” in both per Synergy. Team’s often targeted Miller when he was in foul trouble to try and force him out the game, Miller did well to avoid picking up additional fouls but did give up some baskets you wouldn’t expect him to. However, the eye test didn't quite match up with these disappointing numbers, Bama's switch heavy system did mean Miller often found himself in some difficult match-ups for a freshman in the best conference in the country.

Overall, Brandon Miller’s fit with Charlotte is a seamless one. However, If Miller can’t improve his rim finishing and doesn’t adapt to be a better perimeter defender, he will settle into a Rashad Lewis type stretch four. That’s probably not worth a top three pick but keeps his value firmly in the top eight.

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