No. 2: Charlotte Hornets select Brandon Miller
Original pick: Brandon Miller
Victor Wembanyama was the obvious pick for the San Antonio Spurs at No. 1. The actual draft started with the Charlotte Hornets at No. 2, who had a challenging decision between selecting Brandon Miller and Scoot Henderson.
Sources: Scoot Henderson is gaining serious momentum at No. 2 with the Charlotte Hornets in tonight’s NBA draft. Hornets have been torn over the last week between Henderson and Brandon Miller. Team has final meetings today to settle on decision.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 22, 2023
Ultimately, they went with the Alabama freshman, who was a better fit alongside their star point guard LaMelo Ball. In retrospect, it appears to be the correct pick early on. In his rookie season, Miller averaged 17.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists on 44/37/83 shooting splits. The player Miller emulates the most is his idol, Paul George, and their style of play is eerily similar. Miller has positional size at 6-foot-7 to go along with terrific shooting touch and scoring instincts.
The Hornets finally found another foundational piece to pair alongside Ball. Even better is that Miller can play both the shooting guard and small position, which gives them more flexibility going forward. For instance, that could be a huge asset in this year's draft, where the Hornets have the No. 6 pick and multiple promising guards, including Reed Sheppard, Rob Dillingham, and Stephon Castle, could potentially be available.
Regardless of how this upcoming draft shakes out, last year's pick of Miller has turned the table for the Hornets, who struggled in drafts outside of taking LaMelo Ball in 2020.