Charles Lee Details Why Brandon Miller Is Vital to the Hornets' Pace

Brandon Miller missed eight of his nine shots in the first half Wednesday night at TD Garden. He had 2 points at the break, and the Charlotte Hornets trailed the Boston Celtics 54-44.

Twelve of his 16 points came in the third quarter. Boston led by 18 at one point in that period, and a 14-3 Charlotte run got the Hornets within six. Boston still led 85-77 going to the fourth and won the preseason game 114-93.

Miller also grabbed 5 rebounds and handed out 3 assists, and his 27 minutes were the most of anyone on the team.

Kon Knueppel sat out with a hamstring injury. So did Grant Williams. Coby White missed the game with a calf injury, and Grayson Allen's knee kept him out for a second straight night.

Hornets coach Charles Lee said Charlotte's pace runs through Miller.

"I think that we get to see when he steps on the court, he has a great two-way mindset," Lee said. "We feel his impact defensively and then offensively. He can score in a bunch of different ways. He playmakes in a bunch of ways. He's really vital to our pace."

"I think that when he's out and running, guys are looking for him," Lee continued. "They trust him with the pass. I think that he really opens up a ton of things for us offensively and then again, love the impact he's given us defensively."

A shin injury kept Miller out of the preseason opener against Brooklyn on Oct. 6. Five days later, in his first exhibition action, he scored 18 in a 15-point win over Milwaukee. Before the road trip, he credited winning plays with building his confidence.

In comments published by Roundtable on Oct. 12, Lee said Miller asks to guard the other team's best player.

"He is capable of doing so much for our team and impacting the game in so many ways," Lee explained. "I would never put a ceiling on what he's able to accomplish for us. I want to see him continue to be an elite two-way player, and do it consistently every night."

"We want to keep pushing the envelope with Brandon," Lee added. "Brandon wants us to keep pushing him. He wants to guard the best player. He wants to continue to be in an offensive action so that he can be a playmaker."

Over 65 games last season, Miller averaged 20.2 points and 4.9 rebounds. He made 38.3% of his 3-point attempts, a career best, and 89.2% of his free throws.

Charlotte went 44-38. Its season ended April 17 with a 121-90 play-in loss at Orlando, and the Hornets' last playoff appearance came in 2016.

A season earlier, in January 2025, Miller tore a ligament in his wrist. Surgery followed, and he missed 55 games.

Oct. 22, 2025, was his first regular-season game back. He scored 25 points with 7 assists against Brooklyn.

On March 4, in the second game of a back-to-back, the Hornets beat Boston 118-89 at TD Garden behind 20 points from Knueppel and 18 apiece from Miller and LaMelo Ball. Wednesday was Charlotte's sixth straight preseason loss to Boston.

Charlotte took Miller second overall out of Alabama in 2023, one pick after San Antonio selected Victor Wembanyama. His career scoring average is 19.0 points.

This is the final season of his rookie-scale contract. Without an extension, he would become a restricted free agent in the summer of 2027.

Ball went to Minnesota in a six-team trade this summer, and Naz Reid came to Charlotte in the deal. Knueppel, a Rookie of the Year finalist last season, led the NBA in 3-pointers.

Charlotte's regular season starts Oct. 21 in Brooklyn. The home opener is Oct. 23 against Atlanta.