Hornets Star Brandon Miller Ranked in Top-50 of NBA Players Entering Season

The Charlotte Hornets are putting a lot of faith in young forward Brandon Miller this coming season.

After the team traded away star guard LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Miller is now the face of the franchise going forward. Miller, the former No. 2 overall pick of Charlotte, will step into a new role for this team, leading the Hornets into a new era of basketball.

The forward will now be tasked with taking on more responsibility for this team, with both scoring and playmaking, since Ball is gone. But Charlotte has all the belief that Miller can turn out to be the player that they think he can be.

That faith seems to be going around the NBA as the season gets going soon, with Miller being ranked in the top 50 of players on a list from Bleacher Report. Miller came in ranked at No. 49 entering what will be one of the bigger seasons in his NBA career.

The Hornets will be turning to Miller to step up for this team this season, and if he can, the postseason could be in the cards. Charlotte hasn't made the playoffs in over a decade, but this group believes that the 2026-27 season could be the year to break the long drought.

Last season, Miller averaged 20.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game, playing in 65 contests. The forward also shot 38.3 percent from beyond the three-point line, showing more improvement in his shooting from distance.

With Ball gone, Miller may need to push closer to around 23+ points and five assists this season for the Hornets to see success. Charlotte has surrounded Miller with a lot of quality role players, but he can't do it all. 

Much of this will be up to the play of Miller this season, and the Hornets brass will be watching his game closely all year. If Miller can take that next step in his development as a player, the Hornets may be able to start building toward being a true contender in the future.

Miller and the Hornets will open the new NBA season on Oct. 21 against the Brooklyn Nets on the road, giving him the first opportunity to show what he can do. This group is entering the year with a lot of confidence, but only time will tell if that will turn into postseason success this year.