The Charlotte Hornets lost 89-97 against the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2023-2024 NBA regular season at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina on the 21st (Korea time).
There was also a player who shone in his team's defeat. It was Brandon Miller, the rookie of the year who was selected as the second overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft. Miller had 23 points and seven rebounds. It was no exaggeration to say that he led Charlotte's attack with the Ramelow ball missing due to injury.
Miller has been consistent throughout the season. Miller has an average of 14.5 points, four rebounds, and three-point shooting success rate of 37.5%. Victor Wembanyama is not receiving much attention due to the emergence of all-time rookies and Chet Holmgren, but he is playing a role silently.
Miller is a 206 centimeter tall forward who has mobility and height. With the value of a forward in modern basketball increasing day by day, Miller is the type of forward that modern basketball wants. He is good at 3-pointers and has defense capability to block any number one to four. Such a player is a type of player that is needed in any NBA team.
Unfortunately, he scores under the basket and handles the ball, but as he is still a first-year player, he can expect to make progress. Charlotte fans will express their satisfaction with Miller's performance this season.
Interestingly, Charlotte fans did not want Miller at the time of the draft. The 2023 NBA Draft was the Wembanyama Draft, no exaggeration. Charlotte was selected not to select Wembanyama by a narrow margin, and the second most talked-about prospect after Wembanyama was Scoot Henderson from the G League Ignite.
Henderson has been famous through YouTube and social media since high school. Charlotte fans wanted to nominate Henderson instead of Miller. The moment Miller was selected by Charlotte, fans watching the draft booed him at her home stadium.
However, it was Miller who decided. The biggest reason was that Michael Jordan, then Charlotte's owner, gave Miller a high evaluation, although not for now. It is no exaggeration to say that Miller was Jordan's last legacy before he sold the club.
Another reason Charlotte nominated Miller in place of Henderson was the existence of the Lamelo Ball. Charlotte is the ball's team, and chose Miller, a forward who can coexist with the ball, rather than Henderson, a guard resource that can overlap with the ball.
Consequently, Miller's choice became a good one. He has resources such as Miles Bridges and P.J. Washington, but he is not a player who can afford to leave his future to him. Bridges will become a free agent at the end of this season.
Although it was his first season, he adapted to the NBA and got hooked on Charlotte. His combination with the ball became a type of forward that can fit any team.
Jordan's choice, which was criticized at the time, was early, but it was a good choice. Charlotte fans, who booed, would be happy to watch Miller.