Hot Takes on Hornets' James Bouknight with Brandon Miller Out vs. Pelicans

The Charlotte Hornets' NBA Summer League offense was led by a first-round pick Thursday night.

It just wasn't the first-rounder fans were expecting.

With 2023 No. 2 pick Brandon Miller shut down, James Bouknight racked up 28 points, a Summer League career high, during an 89-83 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.

Bouknight, who has made 65 NBA appearances and zero starts since he was selected by the Hornets with the No. 11 selection of the 2021 draft, shot 11-for-21 from the field while going 4-for-9 from behind the arc.

The Hornets fell behind early and faced a 20-point deficit by the end of the first quarter. Bouknight's effort, to which he added seven rebounds and one steal, pulled the Hornets within view of a tie in the fourth.

Some Hornets fans wanted Bouknight to be acknowledged for improvements in his shooting and confidence as the game went on. Bouknight put on bulk this offseason and described himself as "bigger" and "stronger," according to Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer.

Others were unwilling to predict Bouknight's success based on one Summer League outing. Some fans are ready to say that, after two seasons together, Bouknight and the Hornets are a bad fit.

Once an 18-point-per-game scorer for the UConn Huskies, Bouknight has been unable so far to get into a scoring rhythm in the NBA. He averaged 5.6 points and 1.2 assists in 15.1 minutes per game last season.

Tonight's game marked the Hornets' Summer League finale. Fans will have to wait until the preseason to see Miller play again, and to learn if Bouknight has done enough this summer to secure himself a spot on the roster next season. The 22-year-old is in the third season of his four-year rookie deal and has a club option for 2024-25.