Brandon Miller finally looked like the centerpiece Charlotte paid for, and Moussa Diabaté said the quiet part out loud after the Hornets’ win over the Wizards.
Miller erupted for a career-high 39 points on Monday night, powering Charlotte to a much-needed Eastern Conference victory at home. He needed 38 shots to get there, but he connected on 20 of them and took control of the game in a way the Hornets had been waiting to see. The result lifted Charlotte into a tie for second in the East, at least for now, and it marked a clear turn from the rough opening stretch of the season.
That stretch had been ugly. Over the first two games, Miller averaged 12 points while shooting 24.1% from the floor and 16% from three.
He bounced back with 34 points in game three, but even that outburst came on 10-for-29 shooting. Against Washington, though, the volume finally came with production, and Charlotte needed every bit of it.
Diabaté, who also had a strong night with 11 points, 17 rebounds, three assists, three blocks, and one steal, was blunt when talking about what has shifted for Miller since LaMelo Ball was traded and the offense became his to steer.
"Just understanding that it's his team now."
He expanded on that point by saying, "That's the main thing. He got rewarded for that, and now it's his time.
He wants it, and I'm very confident that he's gonna do some amazing things. What he did tonight and the other night...
I trust Brandon with everything I have, and I'm gonna try to push him as much as I can."
Charlotte’s early returns on Miller’s $209 million extension had already started to draw questions after the first two games, though it was always a tiny sample. After the last two outings, the picture looks much better. And with Coby White and Kon Knueppel still not on the floor alongside him, the Hornets are starting to see what this version of the offense can look like.
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Brandon Miller Is Making Charlottes Massive Bet Look Very Different
Brandon Millers latest stretch has given Charlotte a fresh reason to feel good about the long view. The second-year forward has been producing at a level that fits the kind of investment the Hornets just made, turning a massive contract extension into something that looks a lot more like a calculated bet than a leap of faith. With his scoring coming in bunches and his role clearly growing, Miller is starting to look like a foundational piece rather than simply a promising one.
The recent surge has also sparked bigger conversations around where his offensive game is headed. Jeff Teague went as far as to compare Millers skill set to a young Paul George, a notable compliment even with the obvious caveat that George had already built a more established resume at the same age. For Charlotte, the more immediate question is how far this version of Miller can carry the offense, and whether the Hornets are watching the rise of a player who can justify the franchises confidence in him for years to come. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets 3-1 Start Faces Its First Real Road Test In Detroit
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The timing may help a little, with Detroit on the second night of a back-to-back, but the Hornets have not exactly been breezing through every offensive possession themselves. For a team trying to prove its early record is built on something sturdier than a good opening stretch, this is the kind of game that can say a lot about how far the progress has really gone. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Need Unexpected Help To Survive Detroits Toughest Test Yet
The Hornets are heading into a tricky matchup with a thinner margin for error than usual, and the injury list on both sides is part of the reason why. Charlotte is already trying to piece together scoring and creation without several rotation pieces, while Detroit is dealing with its own absences, leaving both teams to lean more heavily on the players available to them and on whatever lineup combinations can survive the night.
That opens the door for some less familiar names to matter, especially in the starting mix and on the defensive end. Dennis Schrder, Brandon Miller and Cade Cunningham are all expected to shape the flow of the game in different ways, but Charlottes bigger question is how it fills the gaps left by its missing wings and frontcourt depth. The answer could come from a surprising source, and how the Hornets handle that decision may say a lot about whether they can keep this one competitive. [Read more 🡒]