Hawk’s wing Before making the first start of his NBA career against the Mavs, Brandon Miller discussed his main defensive objectives with DallasBasketball.com.
ATLANTA — Brandon Miller, who was chosen with the second overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, is forming early opinions about the sport. He’s played in six games following the Charlotte Hornets’ 124-118 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, averaging 13.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 31.3 minutes per contest.
The 6-foot-9 forward is currently concentrated on making an impression on defense, whether it be by accepting the challenging assignment or actively performing quick and accurate defensive half-court rotations. League observers praised Miller for his willingness to use his size, length, and athleticism to do the dirty work defensively in the Hornets’ 125-124 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday.
Before Sunday’s game, Miller stated to DallasBasketball.com, “Defensively, I want to take on the tough assignments, be at the right spots at the right time, really fly around and make plays for my team like I did last night against Indiana.” “That’s what I’m focused on right now — making an impact on defense.”
Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, or any other gifted NBA offensive threat are examples of the difficult assignments Miller has prepared for by watching game film to learn about his opponents’ patterns and by having faith in the advice of his more seasoned teammates. He still has faith in the methodology that led him to this professional achievement.
“My process is still the same mostly. I have film to help me prepare [for those assignments], so I just study their tendencies and apply it when I’m on the court,” Miller said. “I can also lean on my veteran teammates to help me.”
While there are typically a lot of expectations placed on players to put up big numbers, particularly in the scoring column, Miller continued to convey is complete desire to impact the Hornets on defense while letting offense take care of itself.
“No goals [offensively] right now,” Miller said. “I’m just focused on helping my team defensively right now.”
With it being the start of Miller’s NBA career on a team with plenty of scoring options, he has primarily played in a spot-up role where he makes plays within the game’s flow with potentially a few ball screens or making hustle plays in transition or on the offensive boards. When attacking, he’s focused on not letting himself get sped up.
“I wouldn’t say slow down, just not letting people speed me up,” Miller said. “Getting to my spots how I want to and make a play when I get there. Just continue to play my game without being sped up.”
Miller began his career at Alabama with high expectations as an elite prospect for his class. He credits his time with the program for helping him to grow using the weight room and providing on-court opportunities to grow into his game. It’s a process he’s continuing to emphasize during his rookie campaign.
“I’d say the weight room [has helped me to adjust],” Miller stated. “And then with on-court work, I just took every opportunity I could to get better and continue to add to my game.”
Throughout his basketball career, Miller has acknowledged studying and admiring Paul George as a player. George made his name in the NBA as a highly influential wing defender who developed offensively every season when he started playing for the Pacers. Miller would undoubtedly like to go down that route.
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