Jeff Peterson details two major steps for Brandon Millers development

Matt Alquiza | 3 Hours Ago

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First-year Charlotte Hornets President of Basketball Operations Jeff Peterson was noticeably giddy when discussing Brandon Miller during this week's media day. Miller (as well as LaMelo Ball) is the Hornets meal ticket to future success. 6'7" wings with plus ball-handling and playmaking skills don't grow on trees, and Charlotte is lucky enough to have two young stars who fit that bill.

When it comes to Miller, he has yet to even scratch the surface of his limitless potential. He scored 17.3 points per game as a rookie on 44% shooting from the field while flashing true three-level scoring skills. He's well-aware that isn't enough. Miller opined on Monday afternoon about his goal of becoming "an elite-two way" player, and his boss pointed out two specific tweaks the sophomore forward can make to his game to reach that goal.

Increased physicality

"I think physically it's going to be important for him. Functionally he is stronger. He's so freaking skilled with the ball in his hands, he can do anything that he wants - making shots, making plays for others. Physicality is a huge area for him and that will help him both offensively and defensively."

Miller's shot diet tells the story here. The All-Rookie performer struggled to get to the rim in his maiden NBA campaign. His 63% field goal percentage at the rim was in the 48th percentile of all NBA players (stats via Cleaning the Glass), placing him firmly in the league's below average tier of rim attackers. A more solid frame for Miller will go a long way in improving his game in the paint. He's already shown an otherworldly physical ability to finish over defenders for highlight dunks, but added strength will allow him to be able to finish through defenders for buckets that aren't as flashy as the punch dunks are. But, two points are two points, right?

Added range

"You look at his shot profile and it's a struggle sometimes. We kind of face it in Brooklyn with Kevin (Durant), they're just so efficient in the mid-range and Brandon is as well, but sometimes you want them to shoot more threes."

Miller is deadly from the mid-range. Our very own James Plowright did an in-depth analysis of Miller's long-two game in the midst of his stellar rookie season, but the full season statistics bear it out. According to Cleaning the Glass, Miller was in the 70th percentile of all NBA shooters in the "long mid-range" area, shooting 47%, just behind noted jump shot assassins Brandon Ingram and Klay Thompson.

This isn't the space to argue about the analytical value of mid-range shots, they do serve a purpose in modern basketball, but it wouldn't hurt if Miller shot more threes. He's even deadlier from behind the arc.

Miller struggles from the corners, which is odd because that is the "easiest" three-point shot on the floor, but from all other three-point locations, he was one of the league's best in 2023-24. Miller shot 38% on non-corner three's as a rookie, less that the vaunted 40% that all great shooters strive for, but still in the 74th percentile among all NBA hoopers. Miller's marksmanship was in the same percentile range as noted snipers Donte DiVincenzo, Buddy Hield, and Eric Gordon. More threes equals more points for the Hornets, and Miller would do well to attempt a few more long-range shots going forward.

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