One game into the season, the Charlotte Hornets are already fighting the kind of early read that can stick around if it keeps showing up. They beat the Brooklyn Nets on the road without Kon Knueppel and Coby White, so nobody should pretend the sky is falling. Still, the opener dropped enough hints that one game-day concern may not be much of an overreaction at all.
That concern centers on Brandon Miller and how much of his success may have come from LaMelo Ball setting him up. Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz framed it bluntly in his game-one takeaway: “The franchise just handed Miller a five-year, $209 million extension to help reward him for a season where he averaged 20.2 points on 38.3 percent shooting from deep," Swartz wrote. "How much did Ball factor into Miller's success, however?”
It’s not a new question, and it’s one plenty around the Hornets have already wondered about. Swartz pointed to the fact that “This [performance] comes a year after Miller made 56.1 percent of his twos and a healthy 40.3 percent of his threes off passes from Ball,” and that is exactly the issue.
Ball made life easier for Miller. That kind of easy creation isn’t currently obvious elsewhere on the roster, and Miller has had to shoulder more self-generated offense.
The first game showed both sides of that reality. Miller’s final line was ugly, and the Hornets won despite him, not because of him.
He was nowhere near the best player on the floor, which is where he’s supposed to be, and at times he was one of the least effective. But the opening stretch also flashed the upside that keeps this from being a total doom story.
For a brief stretch, Miller looked every bit like a true first option. He opened with 17 points on 7/12 shooting and was tracking toward a career night before the wheels came off.
That burst mattered, because it showed the performance is there. The challenge is making it last.
Miller has to become better in this role, and the return of Coby White and Kon Knueppel should help. Even so, it’s still very possible the fourth-year wing spends this entire year feeling the impact of Ball’s absence. That’s the uncomfortable part of this early read: it may be an overreaction, but it might also be the truth.
In Other News...
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 🡒]
Brandon Miller Just Put Charlottes Early Offensive Problem On Display
The early season warning signs for Charlotte showed up in blunt fashion in Atlanta, where the Hornets were overwhelmed 128-81 in their second game of the year. Brandon Miller had one of the roughest nights of his young season, as the offense around him never found a rhythm and the Hawks turned the game into a one-sided mismatch before it could really settle in.
Charlottes issues went beyond one off shooting night. The Hornets finished at 34 percent from the field and coughed the ball up 25 times, while Atlanta shot 51 percent and kept control on both ends. Millers struggles only underscored how much pressure is on the Hornets to find more reliable scoring and cleaner possessions as the schedule moves forward. [Read more 🡒]