2nd overall pick of the 2023 draft, Brandon Miller failed to help the Charlotte Hornets win their last NBA game of 2023. The franchise fell short to Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal‘s Phoenix Suns on the away court as the visiting side lost 119-133.

Credits: Dec 18, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller (24) arrives at the Scotiabank Arena before a game against the Toronto Raptors. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

Despite the defeat, the rookie has managed to spark a reaction out of both the All-Star players with his off-court activities.

After the end of the match, Miller took to Instagram to celebrate his performance in that match. With the caption, “See ya in 2024,” he uploaded his memorable moments from the game, featuring both Durant and Beal in separate slides. Thus, the 21-year-old attempted to highlight the unforgettable parts of the match before entering a new year.

Unexpectedly, it caught the attention of both the Suns players as they let their feelings known to Miller. At first, Beal commented, “We doubling you the next game!” with a crying face emoji at the end of his statement. Durant responded to it, mentioning, “Nah, nah I got him next game,” expressing his desire to guard the Hornets youngster in the upcoming matchup.

Despite the seeming seriousness of the reactions, their words might have served as a display of appreciation for Miller’s performance. The shooting guard’s display in Arizona became a source of concern for the hosts as he registered 20-1-3 in 31 minutes. From scoring the first point for his team to shooting 60% from behind the arc, the 6ft 7″ rookie was exceptional in his display.

The comments from the veterans can be assumed as a sign of respect from their end. Beal’s willingness to double-team him and Durant’s desire to guard him all by himself showcased Miller’s quality as a worthy opponent. So, the next time around, both of them wanted to rectify their mistake of not marking him tightly from the first minute. This has now added an extra layer of anticipation to the franchises’ upcoming clash on 15th March in North Carolina.

The rise of Brandon Miller as an NBA rookie

The Hornets displayed immense faith in Miller by selecting him as the 2nd overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft. Since then, he has repaid the organization by exceeding expectations. He started his career in the league well, averaging 12.5-4.2-1.7 in the first 10 games while shooting 44.1% from the field. With time, his gameplay has only improved as he currently averages 14.9-3.8-2.2 following a significant increase in his 3-point shooting.

This just further goes on to how the plethora of talent the franchise has alongside the likes of Miles Bridges, LaMelo Ball, and Terry Rozier. Despite having the presence of such stars, the team has failed to make the most out of it as they are currently third from bottom in the East. A major reason behind it has been the off-court controversies around the organization contributing to the ongoing 7-24 run.

So, a huge task for the management behind sustaining the talented squad is going to be mitigating those issues. How the new owners tackle them with time would be interesting to watch. After all, the fan base would love to see the likes of Miller at the Hornets for years to come.