2023-05-22 17:58:00
NBA Draft 2023 – Best “freshman” of the NCAA season, Brandon Miller arrives in the NBA with a well-adjusted outside shot but questions regarding his “playmaking” and… his past.
On the Alabama side, in a very modern offensive device which made it possible to highlight his qualities, the native of Tennessee easily established himself as the best “freshman” in the country, and even as one of the best NCAA players, wider. He also became the first “freshman” since Anthony Davis in 2012 to win the double “Freshman Of The Year” and “Player Of The Year” in the SEC conference. On the other hand, his end to the season was slower, since he completely missed his “March Madness”: only 28 points scored in three games, 19.5% on shots including 15.8% from behind the arc…
A terrible crack at the most important moment of the season once morest suffocating defenses, which somewhat qualifies his excellent regular season…
Despite everything, the former Crimson Tide winger remains a talented player with high potential. A potential that he will exploit if he manages to progress in the areas in which he currently fishes the most.
Profile
Then: Winger
Size : 2m05
Weight : 91 kilos
Crew : Alabama Crimson Tide
Stats 2022/23 : 18.8 points (43% shooting), 8.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists
Points forts
– The outside shot. For the moment, the exterior address of Brandon Miller is indeed his main asset, the most easily transposable in an NBA attack from his first steps in the Big League. With fluid and fast mechanics, the former Alabama player is able to draw with ease and distance behind the arc. In Nate Oats’ outside-four attack, overextended to outside shooting, he shot 38.4% on 7.4 award-winning shots/game this season, which is pretty impressive for a college player, you have to recognize. Among the pros, he won’t carry the ball much to start with, but will at least be able to prove himself valuable “off-ball” with this already very well regulated shot.
Weak points
– Little creation, for him and the others. Often compared to Paul George in recent months, Brandon Miller is however very far from playing in the same category as “PG” at the same age with regard to “playmaking”. Indeed, for the time being, he is not a very big creator, both for the others (barely 2 assists/game this season) and for himself. The first point is explained by the nature of his profile, that of a natural scorer/shooter, but the room for improvement is present and will fill up as he gains experience in the league. On the other hand, the second point is perhaps a little more “worrying”, because it is more structural: Brandon Miller, at present, simply does not present a very varied offensive panoply. Brilliant in “catch-and-shoot”, he is also able to penalize out of the dribble, but has not done so much this season because his first step and his dribble are not very sharp and do not allow him to create a substantial separation with his defender because he is not very explosive. Moreover, Brandon Miller is not particularly comfortable finishing in the circle, except on the counter-attack phases, a key element of Alabama’s game. But on half-court, when it comes to attacking the circle, it’s another story, because he lacks the power to absorb the contact… Suffice to say that if he is struggling in these areas in the NCAA, it will be even more so in the NBA in its infancy, where the physical and athletic dimension is infinitely superior to the university circuit. Even if, of course, his natural progression should help him, over time, to find more comfort in these areas.
– Physics to flesh out
. A tall but not very thick winger, Brandon Miller must grow physically to survive in the NBA, quite simply. Especially since his physical limitations hinder him in certain important areas of the game: creating separation in front of his defender and absorbing contact to finish in the circle in attack, as we have already said, but also in defense, to hold a duel. His support is ample, but he lacks coordination and lateral speed, once more because of his limited explosiveness. Clearly, he will struggle athletically on his debut in the NBA, even if the physical tools to become a positive player in defense are present (a wingspan of 2m10, in particular). But the priority is to add muscle to better absorb the contacts, on both sides of the field.
The questioning
– What environment around him? In the turmoil this winter on the Alabama campus, when he found himself involved in a shooting case that claimed the life of a young mother, Brandon Miller is faced with the obligation to clean up his entourage even before his arrival in the NBA. Asked regarding this during the Draft Combine, he assured in any case to have learned the lesson of this dark affair. “I always pay attention to those around me. I surround myself with guys who are pros, guys I want to be around”, he said. Big talent with high potential, Brandon Miller retains an important rating in the eyes of NBA franchises, but questions regarding his environment off the field are necessarily legitimate now. It is up to him to apply the effects of this booster shot…
Comparison
shades of Michael Porter Jr. in his game, especially for the winger profile almost exclusively focused on outside shooting. If his ability to create his shot improves, especially at mid-range, Chris Middleton is also an interesting comparison, and a good model to follow.
Prognosis
In the Top 5. He might for example be chosen by Portland in 3rd position, then exchanged in stride with Anfernee Simons. Otherwise, it’s hard to imagine Houston ignoring it, if it’s available in #4.
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