Despite losing on the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes in 2023, the Charlotte Hornets are still likely grateful to have landed the No. 2 pick in the draft lottery. Brandon Miller has proven worthy of being the Hornets' selection, although Amen Thompson, who went two picks later, could soon change their minds unless Miller does something about it.
Thompson has been a revelation for the Houston Rockets, helping them secure the second seed in the Western Conference last year and showing that a non-shooting swingman/forward can feature heavily on a legitimate contender's rotation. Moreover, he has quickly developed a reputation as one of the league's premier wing defenders today.
Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports even acknowledged Thompson as the best perimeter defender, presumably due to his size, quickness, athletic ability, and instincts to stop even the most elite of ball-handlers. At the very least, he is arguably one of the three top players who are tough to go up against, considering that he made the latest All-Defensive First Team along with Dyson Daniels, Lu Dort, Draymond Green, and Evan Mobley.
Interestingly, Thompson would have been an ideal fit alongside LaMelo Ball. His defensive prowess would have made it easier for Charlotte to hide Ball on that end of the floor. Meanwhile, his basketball IQ and athleticism should allow him to thrive with the Hornets' offensive system despite not being a conventional floor spacer.
Brandon Miller still has a higher ceiling
At present, it doesn't look like the Hornets have that huge a reason to regret overlooking Thompson in the draft two years ago. While the Rockets youngster has already bagged more achievements at this point in their careers, that does not mean Miller won't be able to catch up once he finds his footing in the NBA.
It's worth noting that the University of Alabama product hasn't gotten that much of a chance to shine in his first two years in the league. In his rookie season, he did exhibit his potential as a versatile scorer, even ending up third in the Rookie of the Year voting behind Wembanyama and then-redshirt rookie Chet Holmgren. However, with several of his teammates suffering injuries, he barely experienced stability throughout the year.
Then, it was Miller's time to get stung by the injury bug in the 2024-25 campaign, suiting up in just 27 contests.
Hopefully, his health and situation are where they need to be in order for him to reach his ceiling. Miller has shown the capacity to be an all-around player, and if he can be decent enough on the defensive end to establish his reputation as a capable two-way star, there is little chance people would look back on the 2023 draft and say Thompson should have been a higher selection than him.