Hornets Rookie Brandon Miller Serving Late-Season Notice

It didn’t take long for Charlotte Hornets rookie forward Brandon Miller to impress Magic coach Jamahl Mosley. Not even a full NBA season.

Miller hit his first 10 shots from the field in scoring 32 points, lifting the Hornets to a win over the Magic on Friday. It snapped a three-game skid for Charlotte.

“I am very impressed with this young man and what he has accomplished,” Mosley told reporters. “I know there was a lot of talk early on about what he was capable of doing and he wasn’t hitting that until a point, and then he just turned it up. He has been rookie of the month the last three months. You have to give him a ton of credit for the work he is putting in, and staying with it.”

Miller was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and is averaging 17.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists in his first NBA season. He’s shooting 44 percent from the field and 37 percent on 3-pointers. He seems to just be getting better as the season has gone along.

In a season full of injuries and inconsistency for the Hornets (19-58), Miller has been a major bright spot. The idea is that Miller and a healthy LaMelo Ball will give Charlotte two key core pieces for years to come.

On Friday, Miller went 10-of-10 in the first half and joined Stephen Curry as the only player in NBA history to record a first half of scoring at least 25 points, with perfect shooting from the field and foul line while attempting at least five threes.

“That’s a great accomplishment,” Miller said. “(Curry is) one of the greats, definitely a great shooter. Being in that category, that’s a blessing.”

Miller was then asked if it was one of those nights where it felt like everything he shot would go in.

“Every night is like that,” he said, smiling.

And for Miller and the Hornets, that’s been a great start to a potentially very bright future.

COACHING SEARCH

In other news out of Charlotte, as you likely know by now, coach Steve Clifford is stepping down and moving into the front office at the end of the season.

The Hornets already have an early list of candidates, which reportedly includes Sacramento Kings assistant Jordi Fernandez, Milwaukee Bucks assistant Charles Lee, Phoenix Suns assistant Kevin Young and Denver Nuggets assistant David Adelman.

But that’s just a start. Former Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer is also expected to be in the running, sources told Hoops Wire.

“We will look to hire someone that shares our values and vision in developing our young core and creating a culture and identity based on teamwork, accountability and competitiveness,” GM Jeff Peterson said in a statement. “We will conduct a thorough search process to select the best head coach for the Hornets moving forward.”