Brandon Miller Impresses Fans With Bounce-Back Game in Hornets Win vs. Wizards
Charlotte Hornets rookie wing Brandon Miller looked much more comfortable during the team's 98-92 defeat to the Washington Wizards on Thursday night.
In the Hornets' first preseason game against the Miami Heat, Miller came off the bench and finished with eight points on just 3-of-9 shooting. This included an 0-of-4 showing from behind the arc, while his three assists came against three turnovers.
It was a different story in his second outing. While Miller's final numbers weren't earth-shattering, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 draft played with more patience and composure against Washington. He was named a starter after Gordon Hayward was ruled out due to right foot discomfort.
He scored nine points and grabbed six rebounds, shooting 4-of-8 from the field (1-of-4 from three). It's worth noting that he was routinely guarded by French rookie Bilal Coulibaly, a defensive specialist who was selected seventh overall back in June.
Miller showcased his combination of finesse and incredible athleticism all night, including a monster dunk over Washington's Daniel Gafford that left fans speechless. However, it was eventually ruled a charge.
Miller also looked solid on the defensive end, picking up a steal as well as a chase-down block on Jordan Poole. His single game plus-minus of plus-13 was the second-highest on the team behind that of All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball.
Miller's improvements on both ends of the court are a great sign for Hornets fans, as he's starting to look like the three-level scoring machine that won the SEC's Player of the Year award in 2022-23.
He'll look to carry over his positive momentum into the Hornets' next preseason game, where they'll take on the Oklahoma City Thunder. Tip-off is on Sunday at 5 p.m. ET.
