Charlotte Hornets guard/forward Brandon Miller has silenced a lot of his doubters with a decent rookie season in Charlotte.
His impressive performances are starting to have an impact on the Charlotte Hornets franchise as they now see him as the player to build their team around in the future.
Miller played for the University of Alabama as a forward/guard and averaged around 18.8 points a game, 8.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists.
His college basketball career saw him as one of the top prospects in the 2023 NBA draft selection after declaring for it.
However, he arguably didn't get the coverage he deserved after being overshadowed by Victor Wembanyama, who was tipped as one of the best draft prospects in history.
After a poor campaign, the Hornets finished the 2022-23 season with a record of 27-55, meaning they were gifted with a ball in the NBA draft pick lottery.
They narrowly missed out on the first pick and the chance to select Wembanyama, but they were provided the second pick.
Many Hornets fans were crying out for their team to pick guard Scoot Henderson, who played for the NBA G League Ignite team rather than playing college basketball.
However, the Hornets stuck firm and selected Miller as the second pick of the draft, which consequently received controversy from some.
Fuelled with a desire to prove people wrong, the 21-year-old has done his talking on the court and showed us why he was picked second over Henderson.
He has been a key player for Charlotte in this campaign, especially in the absence of star player LaMelo Ball.
Miller has shown excellence all over the court, showcasing brilliant defensive skills whilst also providing attacking prowess to spur his teammates on.
So far, he has tallied an average of 17 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists this term.
On paper, these stats may seem quite average but you can certainly notice his exceptional athleticism, physicality and presence on the court.
Furthermore, the rookie has also shown brilliant flashes throughout the campaign.
He has shown enough of them to prove to the staff that he will be their star player in years to come and will be the face of the Charlotte Hornets franchise.
Miller's best games:
His most recent spark of excellence was in the team's last game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The guard/forward accumulated 31 points, six rebounds and one assist in the Hornets' first win of their last six games, showing that he has the ability and potential to play at an elite level in the NBA.
He put in a solid display in the previous defeat against the Cavaliers when he notched 24 points, eight rebounds and three assists.
In Early February, Miller was again a standout performer in a lacklustre team.
In the matchup agaisnt the Indiana Pacers, he collated 35 points, six rebounds and one assist.
Just a couple of days later, he scored 33 points, four rebounds and three assists.
Miller's outstanding displays have earned him two personal accolades this season.
He grasped his hands on the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for both January and February.
Therefore, it's clear to see that the rookie is having an excellent impact on the franchise as he aims to be the face of it in years to come, however, he will need some excellent supporting cast in future drafts, if he is to have an impact on the Hornet's results and culture.
It will remain to be seen whether or not Miller can build upon his flashes in future seasons and become one of the huge stars of the NBA or even potentially guide Charlotte to glory.