After a year where nothing seemed to go right, the Charlotte Hornets are looking to find a way to bounce back in 2023-24. The entire organization has a lot to prove, but which three members of the Hornets were specifically named in a Bleacher Report article as having the most to prove in the upcoming season?
1. Brandon Miller
The appearance of the second overall pick in this past draft is not exactly a surprise. Most expected the Hornets to select Scoot Henderson rather than Brandon Miller, who appears to be a primary driver of his entry on this list.
"“Lest we forget, the Charlotte Hornets decided to take Brandon Miller instead of Scoot Henderson with the No. 2 overall pick of the 2023 NBA draft. It could become a totally justifiable choice, but it also thrusts immediate pressure in Miller’s direction—pressure that wasn’t exactly lowered by his summer-league struggles.”"
While concern about Miller’s selection would have been eased a bit if he was able to impress in summer league play, unfortunately, that was not the case. Miller struggled, only raising concerns about Charlotte’s decision to take him over Henderson. With that being said, putting a substantial amount of stock into a player’s performance during the summer, good or bad, is incredibly foolish.
Even though Miller does have a lot to prove, the amount of external pressure seems to be a bit much. Miller does not need to be the savior of the Hornets but rather be a part of a collective unit that already features some talented young players. Ideally, Miller becomes a star player in this league, although there is a path toward the Hornets being a successful organization without that happening.