All Hornets

Charles Lee Discusses Brandon Miller's Decision to Play in Summer League

The former No. 2 overall pick just wants to keep playing and improving.

Schuyler Callihan

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I'll be honest, when the Charlotte Hornets released the roster for Summer League, I had to do a double take. I thought for a second maybe they shared last year's roster by accident or had a typo with Brandon Miller being listed.

As a matter of fact, it was not a mistake. The No. 2 overall pick in last year's draft made the decision to play which is something you don't typically see from someone who had the type of rookie campaign he produced. He finished third in the Rookie of the Year voting behind Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren, but won the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month award in three consecutive months.

So, why in the world did Miller opt-in to Summer League action? First-year head coach Charles Lee explained his decision during the broadcast of the team's first game in Las Vegas.

"I'm very excited that Brandon, when we sat down and talked to him about the opportunity to play in Summer League, it was exactly that. It was an opportunity for him to just continue to get more reps. And as he continues to grow in this league, he's one of our better players on this young core. The team is gonna follow his lead. It was really important for him to come out here and play, work hard and practice, and do everything that it takes to build the appropriate foundation that we need in Charlotte."

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Schuyler Callihan

SCHUYLER CALLIHAN

schuylercallihan(at)gmail.com  Twitter:@Callihan_ Schuyler Callihan is the lead publisher of Mountaineers Now, All Panthers, and All Hornets on FanNation/Sports Illustrated. He took over publishing duties of All Panthers in 2020 and wanted to expand his professional coverage in the Queen City by running the operations at All Hornets. Schuyler attended Bethany College in Bethany, West Virginia before finishing up his schooling at Alamance Community College in Graham, North Carolina. The Wheeling, West Virginia native made the move to North Carolina in 2015 and has been in Charlotte since 2021.

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