Brandon Miller has played 101 games in two NBA seasons, and he's 26-75 in those games. The stakes have been so low for the Hornets, and Miller's missed so much time already, that it's hard to blame fans who have forgotten about him. But Miller been so good in his small sample of games that, if he stays healthy for just one full season, it will remind everyone what his ceiling is in the NBA: multi-time All-Star.
I don't say this lightly, either. It's easy to become hyperbolic about young, talented players, but I don't believe this is the case here. Miller has averaged 18.3 points per game on almost league-average efficiency (54.8% true shooting, 52.0% eFG) in his very brief career thus far.
That's a pretty rare feat for a 22 year-old, and even more impressive on a team that's had some brutal lineups in those two seasons. He's not a "good stats, bad team player" (which I don't think really exists anyway, but still). Miller is on a fast track to stardom, and that's not a controversial statement; the statistical profile of his first two years looks a lot like those of today's superstars. If he can put together a 70-plus game season — just like another guy on the Hornets — that track will become much more linear.
While I don't believe in the "good stats, bad player" myth, I do think that Miller showing that he can be jsut as productive on a team that's trying to win sometimes will be beneficial for his perception around the league. And while the Hornets won't win the East this year, they have the outline of a team that will compete on a nightly basis. That's progress, at least!
In other words, Miller proving that he can be a top option in games with some stakes is an important part of his growth.
Brandon Miller might be a Paul George clone after all
The Hornets caught lots of flak when they took Miller No. 2 overall in the 2023 NBA Draft because fans thought the team was deluding itself into seeing Miller as a Paul George clone when he was not that at all.
Well, it turns out Miller might be the Paul George clone Charlotte thought he was after all. Miller's 6-foot-9 frame, smooth ball-handling, shot creation ability, and comfort in the midrange do conjure images of a Gen Z version of Paul George... who Miller just so happens to believe is the GOAT.
Maybe "clone" is a stretch; Miller's on-ball defense still has a way to go, and creating good shots consistently will be the next important evolution of his game. But George didn't become "Paul George" until his third season, so Miller might actually be further along in his development at this point than George was.
I look into my crystal ball, and Miller's future is clear — All-Star. I can see it now. Guys who post this type of production this early, no matter the team situation, turn into stars more often than not. But 101 games every two years will keep him from being on fans' radars.