Following the Charlotte Hornets' opening night victory over the Houston Rockets, a healthy LaMelo Ball looked ready to disrupt the current flow of the NBA. Alas, "Buzz City" is no longer buzzing, partly because the star floor general strained his left calf and has been sidelined.
Considering they're 7-17 and Ball's impending return is murky (at best) as of this writing, the Hornets are trending toward another lost campaign. However, Charlotte has a gleaming silver lining they can proudly flaunt: Brandon Miller is making "the leap" this season.
Miller, the No. 2 overall selection in the 2023 NBA Draft, has taken a sizable step forward in Year 2 of his pro career. More specifically, he's taken off over the past 10 games, mostly coinciding with Ball's absence.
Brandon Miller last 10 games:
27.4 PPG
6.3 RPG
4.9 3PM
39.2 3P%
Hooping. pic.twitter.com/xltHrwyuVU
— StatMuse (@statmuse) December 10, 2024
Ball was in the lineup for the first four games over this recent stretch, so there isn't a direct correlation to Miller's ascension. Nonetheless, Charlotte discovered they may have two Batmans while the point guard has been sidelined. It's a good problem for a small-market organization that struggles to attract star power via free agency.
Conversely, Ball arguably maximizes Miller's greatest attributes. The latter's rise this season has largely been connected to his ability to generate instant offense at a high level. Meanwhile, the former's knack for playmaking and pushing the ball up the court whenever possible complements that skill set beautifully.
If you allow Miller to get to his spot(s) quickly, he will make you pay. His 85.7 field goal percentage with 24-22 seconds on the shot clock and 58.8 percent rate in the 22-18 interval validate that notion.
It's fun to watch when Miller can roam around and find open space beyond the arc early in the possession. As you can see, Charlotte has leaned into his strengths and he rewards them with a smooth-stroking jumper that finds the bottom of the net. The Alabama product's next progression as a scorer will be adjusting when things slow down. He shoots 40.7 percent or less on attempts in early, average, late and very late shot clock situations.
The less ball-handling Miller has to do, the better off he and the Hornets are. He shoots 47 and 47.4 percent (respectively) on attempts with only zero or one dribble before. His 62.1 effective field goal percentage when touching the ball for two seconds or less also backs that up. Especially considering that number drops to as low as 30.6 percent when he hangs onto the rock for six seconds or longer. To combat that, first-year head coach Charles Lee has emphasized above-the-break threes.
Trailing only Ball with 10 ATB 3-point attempts per game, Miller has posted a healthy 37.5 percent clip. He's stepping into his shots from long distance and firing away confidently. But given the state of the Hornets roster and injuries to the backcourt, he’s had to take on more playmaking responsibility. Regardless, the 22-year-old is a rhythm scorer and finds his groove with early action/off-ball movement.
Furthermore, Miller is making strides as a defender. He's rounding into the two-way swingman many thought he could be, putting his 7-foot-2 wingspan and active hands to deflect passes and wreak havoc. Plus, the combination of instincts/foot speed to stick with quicker opponents and the verticality/length to contest/block shots.
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ESPN's Shams Charania shared some intriguing and noteworthy intel in his latest Inside Pass ($). A few of the biggest takeaways are highlighted below:
After an inauspiciously slow start to his tenure with the New York Knicks, Mikal Bridges is finding his footing. While it's taking longer than most expected, the standout wing's role in the team's robust starting unit is crystallizing.
Since the calendar flipped to December, Bridges has reminded everyone why the Knicks gave up six first-round picks to acquire him. He's averaging 22.4 points, 3.8 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 56.4 and 45.2 percent from the field and three, respectively. Moreover (and more importantly), his efforts on the opposite end of the floor have improved considerably. The 28-year-old's 111 defensive rating across five games this month compared to 121 and 120 ratings in October and November.
Perhaps nothing speaks to Bridges' acclimation to his environment than his league-leading +109 plus-minus rating since Dec. 1. Albeit an imperfect stat, he's so far ahead of every other player, with the next-closest being his teammate, Karl-Anthony Towns (+77). The former has embraced his status as a 3-and-D swingman, thriving because of it, simultaneously paying dividends for New York.
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