Hornets’ rookie ranked near bottom of starting small forwards
The Charlotte Hornets went in a direction that many were not expecting in the most recent NBA Draft. Instead of selecting Scoot Henderson, Charlotte opted to go with Alabama’s Brandon Miller. Now that the dust has settled and the preseason is underway, where does Miller rank when compared to the rest of the NBA’s starting small forwards? According to Hoops Habit’s Cal Durrett, not particularly high.
Finding himself ranked in the bottom tier of small forwards at 25th overall is Miller. There are two types of players that receive this designation, stopgaps and unproven players, with Miller obviously belonging to the latter group rather than the former. With that said, the Hornets’ rookie is named the most talented player in this group.
"“Second-overall pick Brandon Miller headlines this ragtag group of borderline starters. Miller is the most talented player in this group given his shooting ability for his size and underrated playmaking ability. However, it’s hard to place him any higher until he actually plays a game. In fact, both he and Mathurin could be in a much higher tier after next season, assuming Mathurin’s 3-point shot starts falling again.”"
Keeping in mind that Miller has yet to make an appearance in a game that actually means something, this spot on this list seems more than appropriate. Nobody can say with absolute certainty as to what type of player Miller will end up being. There is a world where Miller ends up proving Charlotte’s decision to select him over Henderson right. However, it is the other scenario that is much more concerning that some believe is destined to happen.
The possibility of Miller failing to live up to his lofty expectations was recently mentioned as a potential worst nightmare for the Hornets. This does seem a bit dramatic, but it is something that could play out, as unfortunate as that scenario is.
This time next year everyone should have a much better idea of what Miller is as a player. This in addition to having a much more clearer picture as to where he ranks among the rest of the league’s starting small forwards. For now, Miller is in the bottom tier until he proves otherwise.
