Gordon Hayward impressed by play of Hornets' rookie

Charlotte Hornets forward Gordon Hayward recently spoke with HoopsHype and was asked about a handful of topics. Some were of the expected variety, but there was one response in particular that stood out from the others. Hayward was very complimentary in his response about the game of rookie forward Brandon Miller, making sure to mention his play-making ability and size. 

"I think the thing that impressed me the most about him was his poise in the pocket, especially with the ball in his hands, not only making plays for himself but being able to see over the defense."

- Gordon Hayward on Brandon Miller

The 33-year-old veteran would go on to say that he believes that Miller could be All-NBA, specifically mentioning Miller's "length, size, quickness, and instincts.". This is some extremely high praise that has played with and competed against some of the best players in the league over the course of his career. While this is most likely a case of saying something nice about a teammate in a public setting, Miller potentially being one of the best players in the league is not outside of the realm of possibilities. 

Miller has been beyond impressive in his young rookie season. Averaging 14.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2 assists in 31.1 minutes across 16 games, Miller is converting 45.8% of his field goal attempts and 38% from three-point range. This is drastically better than his highly criticized play during NBA Summer League play. This small sample size of games was more than enough for some folks to rehash their should've drafted Scoot Henderson takes, opinions which have since aged like milk in the hot sun. Henderson has since notably struggled, while Miller appears to be one of the better players in this rookie class. 

The Charlotte Hornets entered this most recent draft in a position to potentially add another impact player to their starting lineup, and it certainly seems like they may have gotten exactly that in Miller. While the team is currently struggling to win games at a consistent rate, things should turn around in that department sooner rather than later with Miller in the mix.