Watch: Hornets' Brandon Miller sets team rookie record
The Charlotte Hornets received mixed reactions when they drafted Alabama's Brandon Miller with the second pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, but the rookie is one of the few reasons fans should continue to follow the struggling team.
On Wednesday, with 28 games remaining in the regular season, Miller set a Hornets rookie record for 3-pointers made in a season.
Some writers and Charlotte fans thought Scoot Henderson from G League Ignite should have gone second in the draft, but Miller has silenced those doubters before the All-Star break.
With the Hornets suffering a rash of injuries to key players, head coach Steve Clifford thrust Miller into the starting lineup in just his sixth game.
Miller has started 42 games since and trails only Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren in points per game for rookies with 16.6 and ranks eighth in rebounds per game (4.1).
Miller displayed his ability to be an elite scorer heading into the trade deadline, going for at least 20 points in six consecutive games, with back-to-back explosions for 35 and 33 in losses to the Pacers and Lakers on Feb. 4 and 5, respectively.
Henderson hasn't been asked to do as much in Portland as Miller has in Charlotte. Miller, meanwhile, has looked much more polished offensively than Henderson, posting a higher field-goal percentage, 3-point percentage and free-throw percentage.
For Charlotte (13-41), which is 13th in the Eastern Conference, another major point in Miller's favor is his durability.
The Hornets haven't made the NBA playoffs since 2016, and despite a three-game win streak, they won't make them again this season.
But with Miller in the fold, Charlotte could return to relevance faster than expected.
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