On Sunday night, Charlotte
Hornets rookie Brandon Miller had the best performance of his young
NBA career, scoring a career-high 35 points on 10-of-25 shooting
from the field and 5-of-12 from three while grabbing 6 rebounds and
blocking 2 shots.
Miller did it in a variety of
ways, including stepbacks, floaters and drives to the rim. He hit 5
threes and showcased the three-level-scoring potential that helped
him go No. 2 overall in the 2023 NBA Draft.
No. 2 Pick Brandon Miller dropped a
career-high 35 PTS in Charlotte against the Pacers! pic.twitter.com/WWhBGqHFf1– NBA (@nba)
February 5, 2024
This outing served as a
statement game for Miller, who has mostly been an afterthought in
the Rookie-of-the-Year race since his fellow freshmen Victor
Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren are having all-time rookie seasons.
Miller has faced a lot of doubters, as people have been skeptical
since the pick was made, with many citing No. 3 overall pick Scoot
Henderson as the better overall prospect.
Over his last 10 games, the
6-foot-9 forward has been averaging 22.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and
2.7 assists, on 48% shooting from the field, 40% from three and 85%
from the free-throw line. Miller is starting to figure it out and
proving he belongs in the league.
The 21-year-old’s career-night
made him the first Hornets rookie since 1993 to have a 35+ point
game, joining Alonzo Mourning and Rex Chapman as the only rookies
to do so in Charlotte’s franchise history.
With Miller averaging 28 points
over his last four games, the No. 2 overall pick did something that
turned heads. With nine
minutes in the second quarter, Miller tallied his first field goal
of the game with a driving layup over Indiana Pacers big man Myles
Turner. After scoring,
Miller sprinted down the floor on the other end as TJ McConnell
found Obi Toppin leaking out on a fastbreak. However, Toppin was
not able to catch the ball, leading to the turnover. Despite that,
Miller was clearly distraught at his teammates’ lack of effort and
was heard saying “get the f*** back!”
Brandon Miller: “Get the fuck back!”
🗣️
#LetsFly35 pic.twitter.com/2QVlojAkpX— /r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit)
February 4, 2024
Even after scoring and making
the layup, Miller was the first one back on defense ahead of the
other Hornets players, who were jogging nonchalantly with just
three minutes elapsed in the second quarter.
It sent a message to his
teammates, coaching staff, organization and the whole city of
Charlotte raring to see a competitive basketball team in their
lifetimes: they now have a someone who cares and is willing to give
everything night in and night out to win. And it came from their
prized 21-year-old rookie.
This type of winning mentality
separates the good players from the great players
— the willingness to work hard, the ability to
motivate himself and others to win, and being a leader who holds
teammates accountable on their mistakes.
As Charlotte looks to build a
winning team after being stuck in mediocrity, perhaps Miller is the
cornerstone they’ve been looking for in recent years.
