Brandon Miller’s name has been attached to Paul George for a while now, and Jeff Teague just turned that comparison up a notch.
During a recent episode of the Club 520 Podcast, Teague and the rest of the crew were talking through how Miller stacks up against a young George when Teague dropped the line that will get people talking: "Paul George crawled so Miller could walk," Teague said.
That wasn’t the only point he made. Teague went even further and suggested Miller may already have more offensive skill than George had at the same age, though he also noted George wasn’t getting nearly as many shots early on. That context matters, but the main message was clear: Teague sees a real resemblance.
And it’s not hard to see why people keep landing there. Miller is 6-foot-7, can rise over smaller defenders, and has clearly grown more comfortable creating his own shot. He’s also spent the last two games putting together the kind of scoring bursts that make comparisons like this sound less outrageous in the moment.
Against Miami, Miller scored 34 points. He followed that up with a career-high 39 against Washington, giving him 73 points across those two games.
What stands out is how controlled he’s looked while piling up those numbers. He hasn’t seemed like a player forcing the issue just to chase a big box score.
He’s getting to his spots, making shots when he has to, and looking composed with the ball when things tighten up. After the Washington game, Charles Lee talked about Miller wanting the ball late, which is exactly the sort of trait a team wants from one of its top players.
Charlotte backed that belief in a big way recently, handing Miller a five-year, $209 million extension. That’s not the kind of deal you give out if you’re waiting for someone to become something down the line. It’s a bet that he’ll be one of the faces carrying the Hornets for years.
Still, Teague’s comparison has limits. George’s résumé is on another level right now: nine All-Star appearances, six All-NBA selections, four All-Defensive selections, and a third-place finish in MVP voting in the 2018-19 season.
Miller isn’t there yet, and no one should pretend otherwise. But the flashes are real, and some nights he does give off that young Paul George vibe.
The size is there. The jumper is there.
And when he gets rolling, the scoring can come from everywhere.
He’s not the only one getting that kind of praise, either. Bill Simmons recently discussed Miller as a potential future All-NBA player and mentioned Paul Pierce, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown while talking about his ceiling.
That doesn’t make Miller the next Paul George. Not by a long shot.
But if he keeps stacking up performances like the last two, this won’t be the last time somebody reaches for that comparison.
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Bill Simmons Just Sparked A Hornets Debate Fans Will Feel
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Even so, the bigger question hanging over this start is how much of it will hold up once the schedule tightens and the opponents get tougher. Charlotte has not yet beaten many strong teams, and the current formula still leans heavily on rebounding and Dennis Schrder, which leaves plenty of room for concern about whether the offense and defense can travel against better competition. [Read more 🡒]