In Charles Lee's first season as the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets, we saw a lot of positive developments took place. It was clear that he came in and established a culture that resonated with the players and the rest of the organization. And although his offensive system generally worked well considering his roster's injuries, the Hornets' more three-point heavy offense took away one big strength of Brandon Miller — His mid-range shot.
Now, some argued throughout the year that this was an overall positive development considering the direction of the NBA and Lee's background. He of course learned under Joe Mazzulla in Boston and that Celtics team won a championship, so there was little reason to question it for some time. As this past season went on, I became more content with Miller and others taking a higher volume of threes when they were quality looks.
But as we watch and observe these NBA playoffs happening right now, they serve to give us pause when it comes to attaching Charlotte's offensive philosophy firmly to the three-point revolution. As the Celtics go down 0-2 against the New York Knicks in the semifinals, we can see that it was their failed three-point shooting that ultimately opened the door for them to blow not one, but two 20-point leads.
This makes us think harder about what the Hornets should desire for their offensive structure going forward. In Lee's first season this past year, Charlotte went from taking the 17th-most three-pointers per game in the association (34.0 in 2023-24) to taking the 11th-most per game in the league (38.3 in 2024-25).
Brandon Miller should attempt more mid-range shots next season
The number of attempts may still not be so much of a problem in the regular season as it could be in the playoffs. Boston's losses have shown how volatile that system can be. When everything is on the line in the postseason, allowing your guys to play to their strengths should be of the utmost importance.
I'm still not saying I'm counting out the three-point revolution entirely. But what I am saying is that when you have a player as special at shooting the mid-range as Brandon Miller, you have to let him go to work.
Going back to the NBA of 2005 where everyone is shooting 15-footers all game (and missing most of them) is not the move. The mid-range is frankly not a shot a lot of players truly have in their bag anymore, at least not at a high level. But we know how lethal Miller is once he gets to his spots.
From his rookie to his sophomore season in Charlotte, the percentage of shots Brandon attempted from three-point territory rose from 45.5% to 59.7%. Naturally, his attempts from mid-range went way down. He took 9.6% of his shots from between 10-16 feet this past season, compared to 16.3% in 2023-24.
Making those shots is something Lee and his staff know they can rely on Miller to do consistently, and it's something that adds a different element to their offense. Not to mention the fact that many of the greats who become the best player on a championship team (LeBron, Kawhi, Durant) all had this shot in their repertoire in their primes. It's something the Hornets have to lean into more going forward.