Another year, another disappointing finish by the Charlotte Hornets. The lone bright spot I saw was first year player, Brandon Miller.
Miller, now only 21 years old, quietly became the Hornets most consistent performer. By the end of the season, you could easily forget that he was a rookie.
Yes, Charlotte absolutely nailed the second overall pick in last year’s draft by taking Miller, now a Rookie of the Year finalist. His stat line ended up being 17.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 0.9 steals a game. The University of Alabama product sank 184 3-pointers on 37.3% shooting, the fourth-highest total ever by an NBA rookie.
Miller’s now the fifth rookie in NBA history to average at least 15.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 3-pointers in a single season, joining a foursome of multi-time All-Stars in Anthony Edwards, Luka Dončić, Steph Curry, and Allen Iverson.
Miller steadily increased his averages as the year progressed. It is my hope that the Hornets build around Miller instead of LaMelo Ball. It has not worked out for Ball here as the Hornets finished with a 21-61 record. While injuries took another harsh toll on their season, the Hornets absolutely have something special in Miller, a young talent who has already shown plenty of flashes of being a potential NBA superstar.
New ownership has to see that it is Miller Time. Let him be the face of the franchise instead of Ball. Build around consistency over flash.
