If the early tea leaves are any indication, at least one member of the Charlotte Hornets could be poised for a noteworthy 2025-26 campaign.
Brandon Miller was named as one of the players poised for a breakout season in NBA.com’s annual GM survey. Liam McNeeley was listed as one of the steals of the draft based on where he was selected, and Josh Longstaff was recognized as one of the top assistant coaches in the league.
For Miller, whose surgically-repaired right wrist seems to be fully healthy, it’s probably another mental hurdle cleared, similar to playing in his second preseason game in four days Thursday night. With league executives certain Miller is on track for a bounce back year, why shouldn’t Hornets’ talented swingman feel just as confident?
“I’m happy for Brandon,” Charlotte coach Charles Lee said. “I do think that it’s always great whenever you get your flowers from your colleagues or people that watch your games. But I also know Brandon has an internal drive himself, so regardless of what the GM survey had said, he’s going to be focused on coming in and trying to help this team, help himself have a better third season.”
The preparations for this season are ongoing, the latest coming in the Hornets’ 122-116 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center. Coming off posting eight points against the Thunder in Charleston, S.C. four days earlier, Miller netted 14 points, connecting on 3 of 11 attempts in 23 minutes with two of those makes coming from 3-point range. His free-throw stroke looked good, buoyed by sinking all but two of his eight attempts.
Miller is navigating through the kinks, continuing to get acclimated with the taping of his wrist — which is something he’s been instructed to do — and working through the rust associated with not playing in an actual competitive game for nine months.
The Hornets hope Miller can pick back up where he left off prior to getting banged up in Utah on Jan. 15, suffering a torn scapholunate ligament in his right wrist that cost him the final 42 games of his sophomore season as a pro.
Has made a 3-pointer in 40 straight regular-season games, representing the longest streak of his career, and he’s drained more than one shot beyond the arc in 20 consecutive games, which is a career-best.
By totaling 1,827 points through his first 100 career games, he’s recorded the third-most in franchise history, trailing only Alonzo Mourning (2,123) and Larry Johnson (1,962). The 285 shots he’s nailed beyond the 3-point arc are the second-most in NBA history, leaving him behind Duncan Robinson’s top mark of 326.
“I think he made a ton of strides last year before he got hurt and he wants to build on that,” Lee said. “He’s built on his leadership on his time away from the game rehabbing. I thought he did a good job of focusing on what he could do.
“And what he could do was still impact our team with his leadership and his engagement everyday.”
Whether that was whipping passes to teammates left-handed until he was medically cleared to begin using his right hand more. Or barking out observations from courtside. Watching game footage with others like the since-released Nick Smith Jr.
Pair that mentality and growth with the moves Miller has apparently incorporated into his repertoire, and it’s not hard to see why decision-makers around the NBA believe the 22-year-old is going to blast off to another stratosphere this season.
“I think from a skill standpoint he’s added so many things to his game,” Lee said, “and we’re going to continue to challenge him, and push him and make him a great two-way player, which is what he wants to embrace as well. Because he knows that if he is locked in and focused on the right things to help us win, he’s a monster.
“So, I look forward to Year 3 from Brandon Miller.”