Brandon Miller’s second night of the season was the kind of outing Charlotte would like to forget in a hurry.
The Hornets got buried by the Hawks on Friday, falling 128-81 after opening the year with a 110-103 win over the Brooklyn Nets. Miller, Charlotte’s star forward, never found a rhythm and finished with six points, two rebounds, two steals, one block and two turnovers. He shot 2-for-14 overall and 1-for-11 from three.
That rough start has carried into the first two games of the 2026-27 season. Miller signed a five-year, $209 million extension in the offseason, but the production has not matched the price tag so far. Through two contests, he’s averaging 12 points, 2.5 rebounds, 0.5 assists, a steal, a block and 2.5 turnovers while shooting 25.7 percent from the field and 12.5 percent from beyond the arc.
Charlotte is counting on Miller to be a central piece of its future, and the hope is that some of the load lightens once Kon Knueppel is back on the floor. Knueppel remains one of the Hornets’ better offensive weapons, coming off a 2025-26 season in which he finished second in Rookie of the Year voting. He averaged 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists while shooting 47.5 percent from the field and 42.5 percent from three.
The Hornets also expect Coby White’s return to help steady the offense and create more clean looks. Getting both Knueppel and White back should help Charlotte settle in and, maybe, give Miller a chance to get moving again.
Friday’s loss, though, was about much more than one cold shooting night. Charlotte’s offense was rough across the board, finishing at 34 percent from the field and 22 percent from deep while coughing it up 25 times.
Naz Reid led the Hornets with 17 points, six rebounds, two assists and a steal, going 7-for-16 from the floor and 3-for-8 from three, but he also committed seven turnovers. Grayson Allen and Tidjane Salaun added 11 points apiece.
The problems didn’t stop on offense. Atlanta carved up Charlotte on the other end, shooting 51 percent from the field and 40 percent from three, with seven Hawks scoring in double figures.
In Other News...
Hornets Already Face A Brandon Miller Concern They Feared
Brandon Millers first game of the season did little to quiet the questions that followed him into the year. With LaMelo Ball no longer around to steer the offense, the Hornets are already staring at the concern they feared most: whether Miller can generate enough good looks on his own, or whether his production will dip when he has to carry more of the creation burden.
There is still room for the picture to change as Charlotte gets more help around him, with Coby White and Kon Knueppel among the players who could ease some of that pressure. But the opener served as an early reminder that Millers comfort level can look very different depending on who is setting the table, and the Hornets may spend the coming weeks finding out how much of his game travels without Ball beside him. [Read more 🡒]
Grant Williams Is Already Feeling The Buzz Around Charlotte's Opener
Grant Williams has been soaking up the buildup to the Hornets' home opener in a way that fits both his roots and his role as one of the more visible Charlotte natives on the roster. Even though he won't be on the floor for the opener, the buzz around the building has already reached him, and he sounds eager to be part of a night that blends basketball, local pride and a little extra pageantry for a fan base waiting to see what this group looks like at home.
The opener will also bring a familiar soundtrack to the evening, with Petey Pablo set to perform North Carolina's unofficial anthem at halftime. For Williams, the occasion carries a personal layer beyond the game itself, with his connection to playing in his hometown and his reflections on fatherhood giving the night a meaning that goes beyond one regular-season date on the calendar. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Already Face One Early Problem They Cant Keep Ignoring
The Hornets home opener turned into an early reminder of how thin the margin can be when a young roster is still trying to sort itself out. Charlotte fell behind quickly against Atlanta at Spectrum Center and never found much traction offensively, with turnovers and empty possessions piling up as the game slipped away. Head coach Charles Lee pointed to the ongoing adjustment to the teams offensive systems, a process that can take time but also has to show progress sooner rather than later.
Brandon Millers rough shooting night only added to the frustration, especially after the organization committed to him on a multi-year contract. There was at least one small developmental note to take from the loss, though, as Charlottes 2026 first-round draft pick made his NBA debut and contributed on both ends. For a team trying to balance patience with urgency, nights like this tend to sharpen the focus on what still needs fixing. [Read more 🡒]