Brandon Miller Vows Hornets Will Do Whatever It Takes to Make NBA Playoffs

The Charlotte Hornets haven't made the NBA playoffs since 2016.

They never made the playoffs during the LaMelo Ball-Miles Bridges era. 

Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel are the new faces of the franchise in Charlotte in the post-Ball-Bridges era. After the Hornets beat the Brooklyn Nets on opening night, Miller told reporters that he and his teammates would do whatever it takes to make the playoffs this season. 

Miller played 36 minutes against the Nets in Brooklyn. The small forward finished with 18 points while shooting 7-of-21 from the field, 3-of-14 from beyond the arc and 1-of-2 from the free-throw line. 

Miller had a nasty dunk for his first points of the 2026-27 season. As long as he stays healthy, Miller is primed to have a great campaign for Charlotte. 

A talented two-way swingman, Miller appeared in 65 games for the Hornets last season, his third year in the NBA. He averaged 20.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game while shooting 43.5% from the field, 38.3% from beyond the arc and 89.2% from the free-throw line.

The Hornets signed Miller to a five-year, $209 million rookie-scale extension. Miller entered this season with career averages of 19.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. He was the second overall pick in the 2023 draft.

Last season, Miller claimed his first Eastern Conference Player of the Week award on Feb. 1, 2026, after averaging 26.3 points (51.6 FG%, 50.0 3P%, 100.0 FT%), 5.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game in four outings, becoming the first Hornet to earn Player of the Week honors since Miles Bridges on Oct. 25, 2021. 

Before this season, Zach Lowe compared Miller to Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum. Lowe believes Miller is already better than LA Clippers swingman Brandon Miller too and thinks Miller will make an All-NBA team sooner rather than later.

Knueppel didn't win the 2025-26 Rookie of the Year award, but he still had a special season for the Hornets. The Duke product averaged 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game and shot 47.5% from the field, 42.5% from beyond the arc and 86.3% from the free-throw line and led the NBA in 3-pointers.

Knueppel didn't play against the Nets. He's still recovering from a left hamstring injury. The Hornets were also without Coby White and Grant Williams.

Miller and Knueppel are the new franchise players in Charlotte with Ball and Bridges gone. Both youngsters have a lot of untapped potential.