Charlotte Hornets rookie Brandon Miller entered the NBA draft as a player who can do a number of things on the court, and that has the organization excited about his future.
Miller was a consensus All-American at Alabama after averaging 18.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists on 38.4% shooting from 3-point range. He is the only player to win the SEC Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year and conference tournament MVP in the same season.
The 6-foot-9 forward was a versatile player last year and has the tools to make an immediate impact this season. Hornets head coach Steve Clifford, speaking with Steve Aschburner of NBA.com, believes Miller has a unique skill set.
He has a combination of size, skill and IQ that’s hard to find even in our league. Almost 6-foot-9. Very good decision maker. Great skill package. Better off the dribble than I realized. He has a big advantage in that he played for a terrific college coach (in Alabama’s Nate Oats) where there’s a lot of structure. We could see it even in summer league practices – he knows how to practice, everything is very serious, about doing his best. That’s the best for young guys to get up to speed quickly.
Miller debuted with the Hornets in summer league and averaged 15.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.2 steals in five appearances in Sacramento and Las Vegas. He scored in double figures four times, including a summer league-high 26 points on July 11.
The second pick has seemingly been in the gym throughout the offseason preparing for his rookie campaign. He recently drew high praise from teammate PJ Washington for his work ethic and ability to affect games in a variety of ways.
The wait to see Miller hit the court for the first time is nearly over as the team begins training camp on Tuesday. He enters the year with plenty of expectations but looks poised to have a strong season based on the early reviews out of Charlotte.
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