Charlotte Hornets rising star Brandon Miller has a long road in front of him to be considered worthy of joining the league's upper echelon of wing players. HoopsHype even ranked him 21st in its list of top small forwards this season. Right in front of him is Cooper Flagg.
Perhaps there's a case for the Dallas Mavericks rookie to be seen as the better player than Miller, as many pundits had thought of him as a generational draft prospect. Some had even hyped him up as being in the same tier as the likes of Victor Wembanyama, LeBron James, and Tim Duncan. It wouldn't be surprising if Flagg ends his career as one of the best ever to do it.
Still, Flagg has obviously yet to prove anything in the NBA. So, it might be a bit embarrassing for Miller that someone who hasn't played a single minute in the regular season has been weighed up as the superior player.
If the incoming third-year pro takes a lot of pride in how his body of work is recognized around the league, he has to show this season that ranking him No. 21 and behind Flagg is an epic mistake.
Brandon Miller has started to become underrated
With all that has been happening in Charlotte and everywhere else in the NBA, it's easy to overlook that the Hornets have a budding star beside their established star in LaMelo Ball.
Some might say that Miller's average of 21.0 points per game on 40.3 percent shooting in the 2024-25 campaign should be a red flag. However, let's not forget how the team had to deal with injuries to several key players, which arguably impacted the 22-year-old swingman's play. In addition, he was limited to merely 27 appearances after sustaining a right wrist injury and didn't have the opportunity to vindicate himself.
The good news is that he displayed the willingness to take the shots that probably only a few of his teammates were keen on attempting, particularly from long range. Miller averaged 10.9 3-pointers per contest, and despite his efficiency (35.5 percent) needing a boost, his confidence should be one of his redeeming qualities.
It will be interesting to see how well the rising star will fare this season, especially compared to Flagg. He already has a massive burden to prove himself, as one of his draft classmates, Amen Thompson, appears to be more highly touted than him despite being selected two picks later and even placed seventh in HoopsHype's ranking of shooting guards.
Hopefully, the slight will push Miller to take his game to the next level, as such a development would also raise Charlotte's collective floor and ceiling.