Is it time for Brandon Miller to crack the Hornets’ starting lineup?
Is there a world where rookie forward Brandon Miller no longer comes off the bench for the Charlotte Hornets and is instead part of their starting rotation? That proposition may not be that far off, considering how the second-overall pick in the most recent NBA Draft is currently performing.
Miller is averaging 17.3 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists in 31.3 minutes per game while shooting 47.4% from the field and 43.8% from three-point range. This is very encouraging when taking his performance from the preseason into account. Miller averaged just 8.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 26.1 minutes in four preseason contests. The Alabama product was making just 37.8% overall and 7.7% from beyond the arc. The near across-the-board improvement in these areas while seeing more time on the court does point toward things headed in a positive direction.
Granted, it is only a three-game sample size, and there is a very good possibility that things change as the season progresses, but what he has been able to produce has been significantly better than most national basketball analysts could have imagined. Too often the focus of Hornets’ discourse was focused on complaining about the team passing over Scoot Henderson in favor of Miller. Keeping that in mind, it is great to see Miller playing better than the scrub he was painted out to be.
There are a couple of obstacles for Miller before he can establish himself as a starter for the Hornets, both of which happened to be tied together. Those obstacles are head coach Steve Clifford and veteran Gordon Hayward. Clifford is known to favor veterans over rookies and other young players, which puts Miller behind the proverbial eight-ball.
It is going to take a little bit more time for Miller to have enough games under his belt before he may be able to convince Clifford he is worthy of being in the starting lineup. This is in addition to a trade of Hayward, which almost feels to be an inevitability at this point. Should Hayward be moved, and Miller continues to play at an impressive level, it is only a matter of time before he takes over as a starter in Charlotte.
