It’s the opening day of practice for the Alabama men’s basketball team and rising sophomore center Charles Bediako and his Crimson Tide teammates are getting their first look at the team’s prized five-star freshman wing Brandon Miller. Early on during the late-summer session, the newcomer rips off a string of eight straight made 3-pointers, none of which even strike the rim.
“We were all like ‘Yeah, he’s legit,’” recalled Bediako. “That guy… he’s different.”
Speaking of different, the Charlotte Hornets found themselves in a bit of a different position on Draft Night after they secured the second overall pick at last month’s Draft Lottery, marking their first top-2 pick since 2012. Exactly 37 days later, after weeks of deliberation, they finally phoned in their selection and officially crowned Miller as the newest member of the organization.
Born just outside of Nashville, TN in a town called Antioch, the now 20-year-old Miller quickly rose through the ranks and was one of the most sought-after high school players in the country just over a year ago. He opted for Alabama in lieu of the NBL’s Next Stars Program in Australia and G League Ignite, following in the footsteps of his father Darrell – a former Crimson Tide football player – and siblings Darrell Jr. and Britany, both of whom also played collegiately.
His lone season in Tuscaloosa culminated with an SEC-leading 18.8 points on 43.0% shooting – 38.4% from 3-point range on 7.5 attempts per game – 8.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 37 starts. Highlighted by the SEC Player of the Year and Consensus Second-Team All-American honors, he earned numerous postseason awards after leading Alabama to a 31-6 record, the SEC Regular Season and Tournament Championships and a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Miller is also now the first Alabama player taken with a top-2 NBA Draft pick since Antonio McDyess in 1995.
One of the first words that comes to mind when describing Miller’s game is versatility. Measuring 6-9 and about 200 pounds, he is a three-level scorer with elite touch, fluid footwork and athleticism. Whether it’s finishing at the rim, pulling up in the paint for mid-range floaters or moving off the ball for catch-and-shoot attempts, there’s a patience to Miller’s offensive style – nothing feels too sped up. And despite encountering different defensive schemes all season long, Miller has already showcased advanced play-making abilities for a player of his stature.
“Brandon Miller has the ability to play several positions,” said Hornets President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Mitch Kupchak. “He can probably guard one through four. I think he can play the two-spot, the three-spot on a regular basis. I see him bringing the ball up the court. That doesn’t necessarily make him a ball-handling guard, but he can make plays, run a pick-and-roll, rebound. For a 20-year-old, he has a game that translates to the NBA pretty easily.”
Without question, his best individual performance of the season was a 41-point eruption in a 78-76 overtime road win over South Carolina on Feb. 22. Miller banked in a game-tying layup from the left side with four seconds left in regulation to force the extra frame, then later hit a nearly identical go-ahead shot with less than a second to go in overtime. It was the first 40-point game by a Crimson Tide player since Collin Sexton had one back in November of 2017.
To put some of his shooting abilities into context, only two NBA players 6-9 or taller – All-Star Lauri Markkanen and Michael Porter Jr. – shot over 38.0% from 3-point range on at least 7.0 attempts per game in the 2022-23 campaign. Miller is a threat to score from almost anywhere on the court and his presence should provide an immediate boost to a Charlotte squad that finished 27th in 3-point field goals (10.7) and 29th in 3-point percentage (33.0%) last season.
Another promising component about Miller’s game is his potential on the defensive end. He averaged just under one steal (0.9) and one block (0.9) per game at Alabama and was second in the SEC in total defensive rebounds (229) trailing only Kentucky’s two-time reigning NCAA rebounding champion Oscar Tshiebwe. Although not necessarily a lights-out defender quite yet, Miller knows his way around this end of the floor and could guard up to four positions at the NBA level thanks to his height and 7-1 wingspan. On top of his attitude towards defense, those dimensions also make it unlikely he’ll be targeted by opposing offenses either.
“It’s not all about offense,” said Miller. “You make shots some games, you miss shots some games. If you have an off game, I feel like you should make up for it with a defensive play, a stop or something like that. What can you do to help a team win a game? I can help with my defense as far as diving on the floor, getting 50-50 balls, defensive rebounds, taking charges, forcing shot clock violations. Those can change a game.”
“Just his shooting ability and getting to the rim, he has great touch around the rim,” said Bediako, when asked about Miller’s strengths. “Obviously, his defense, chase down, shot blocker, he’s a very good teammate. Very good energy giver. Even if he’s having a bad game, he’s still giving energy. I think a lot of people don’t see that.”
Miller will need to add weight and physicality to his frame, although that is a normal thing on the to-do list for young NBA players. His shot might need some tinkering (his release is a tad low and perhaps susceptible to more aggressive closeouts), but that’s more fine-tuning and less of a major mechanical overhaul. Becoming a better off-the-dribble creator should be an early focal point, with his size often providing an upper hand against most opposing defenders in this area.
“I’ve heard a lot of teams tell me I need to get in the weight room,” said Miller. “I love the weight room. I don’t fear the weight room. I’m willing to work and get better. Me being able to take contact from grown men, it’s a big adjustment coming from college to the NBA. I’m going to do whatever I can to win ball games.”
The current NBA player that Miller has been compared to the most during the pre-draft process (assuming best case scenario) is Paul George, one of the NBA’s premier two-way wings over the past decade. Miller has a lot of developing to do before he reaches this level, but if he does, the Hornets will have struck absolute gold. Highly versatile wings with this kind of size and length that can produce at an elite level on both ends like George, like Kawhi Leonard, like Jimmy Butler, are quite rare and extremely hard to come by in the NBA.
Already, Miller has a couple of NBA veterans in his ear helping him prepare for the league. At the Combine, he mentioned Bradley Beal – whose AAU team he used to play for – and Darius Garland – who also attended high school in Nashville, then later Vanderbilt – as the pair he’s been leaning on the most for mentorship. “I talk to Darius every day,” said Miller. “That’s like my big brother. Sometimes, we’ll just chill and talk at his house. I think it’s important to have guys to sit down and talk to. Everybody in the world should have a mentor like that.”
For the time being, Miller probably slides into the backup three-spot behind Gordon Hayward and could also see some early minutes at the two or maybe even the four in smaller lineups. Thanks to his versatility, there’s a lot of ways to utilize him and how the rest of the roster shakes out moving forward will heavily impact where he ultimately fits in from a long-term standpoint.
Overall, the Charlotte Hornets have immediately upgraded their talent level with the addition of Brandon Miller and because of his ability to play multiple positions, also strengthened their depth in the process. He’s the exact type of player who can absolutely thrive in today’s NBA and one that every single team would love to have on its roster.