Brandon Miller began the 2026-27 season with a bang and then became rather quiet the rest of the way. In many respects, it was a performance that epitomized both the reasons to believe in his potential as a go-to scorer and a showcase of the limitations that he must work to erase.
The first game of the season only counts for so much, but the Charlotte Hornets need Miller to learn from this experience as he moves into the role of a No. 1 option.
Miller began the Hornets' season opener, a 110-103 win over the Brooklyn Nets, in fine form. He finished the first half with 17 points on 7-of-14 shooting, tormenting the Nets with his jump shot, floater, and explosive athleticism in a thrilling scoring display.
Unfortunately, Miller went 0-of-7 during the second half and confirmed what many feared about his transition to a No. 1 scoring role: He falls a bit too in love with his jump shot.
Even during his explosive first half, nine of Miller's 14 field goal attempts were threes. That might seem justifiable without context, but he went 4-of-5 on twos and 3-of-9 from beyond the arc. He also missed three of his first four shots by all but exclusively relying on his jumper before finally embracing a dunk as a reasonable tactic.
Miller's jump shot is clearly lethal and worth building around, but until he scores with a more balanced approach, cold stretches will be inevitable.
Brandon Miller is a bit too in love with his jumper to be a true No. 1
This might seem like a one-game overreaction, but it's actually the book that's been written on Miller up to this point in his career. He can and should shoot from every angle of the court, but he imposes limitations on his potential as a scorer by ignoring other areas in which he excels.
In 2025-26, for instance, Miller ranked in the 34th percentile in rim shot creation despite finishing in the 79th percentile in rim shot making efficiency, per Basketball Index.
That's both the cause for concern and the reason for optimism. Miller is too eager to shoot jump shots, but he's proven capable of scoring at all three levels with impressive degrees of efficiency when he puts his mind to it.
The problem is that the shot quality that Miller embraces is often at a lower level than it arguably should be relative to how good he is at getting to spots.
Brandon Miller is too talented to settle for jump shots
A season ago, Miller ranked in the 91st percentile in midrange shot creation, but the 42nd percentile in midrange shot quality. He also ranked in the 86th percentile in three-point shot creation, but the 10th percentile in three-point shot quality. Compounded by his reluctance to go to the rim, shooting 43.5 percent from the field was perhaps inevitable.
What the 2026-27 season opener revealed is that Miller still has the same mental hurdle to clear as he prepares to become the Hornets' go-to scorer.
Miller's first instinct appeared to be to go for his jump shot during the win over the Nets. He had a stretch where he couldn't seem to miss, but the Hornets need him to figure out a signature shot or move that will make it easier for him to put points on the board without relying on long jumpers.
If Miller can do so, then his transition to the No. 1 scoring role alongside do-it-all forward Naz Reid should be a smooth transition. If he can't, then the learning curve could prove tough to overcome.
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