Will Brandon Miller be able to handle the pressure?
There are many questions to be answered when it comes to Hornets rookie Brandon Miller. How will he mesh with Ball? Will he be able to hold up defensively? Will he be able to consistently knock down 3-pointers? Miller will enter his rookie season with heavy expectations.
Many feel that he is talented enough to be given a huge role in the Hornets offense, and given the opportunity, he could make a huge statement early in the season. While Miller should have his fair share of breakout games, we must remind ourselves that he is just a rookie and that he still has to face that learning curve of being able to adjust and develop accordingly.
Miller can easily knock down shots but he must improve on separating from his defender in order to get off cleaner and uncontested shots. He also needs to be efficient when getting to his spots. All of the great shooters have done this time and time again, and with Ball running the offense, it will make getting open looks that much easier for Miller.
If he can develop his midrange game and his step back, Miller can become a difficult player to guard. When he played at the University of Alabama, Miller played in a system that was designed to get players open looks from behind the arc and shots in the paint. With his style of play and his size, shooting the midrange off the dribble could be another weapon Miller can have at his disposal.
The Hornets have had problems on the defensive end because they had players who were either too small or couldn’t hold up physically. In Miller, The Hornets have a player who doesn’t just score but can also defend. What everyone will be watching to see is if Miller is a surefire 3 and D prospect like he was projected to be.
This may have been the sole reason the Hornets chose Miller over Scoot Henderson in the 2023 NBA Draft and the Hornets will be counting on Miller to develop into a legit defender on the wing. If Miller can figure things out early, it would put this franchise ahead of schedule and they could exceed expectations