Victor Wembanyama is basically a lock at No. 1 overall to the Spurs in the 2023 NBA Draft. But at No. 2 overall, the Hornets have options.
Even though Scoot Henderson was long considered the second-best prospect in this class behind Victor Wembanyma, some believe the G League Ignite star is a “suboptimal fit” in the backcourt for LaMelo Ball.
That means despite a poor performance for Alabama during March Madness, Alabama’s Brandon Miller could hear his name called with the No. 2 overall pick when Charlotte is on the clock. It is still far from a done deal, however, and Miller has lots of questions to answer during the pre-draft process.
For example, there are some important questions surrounding Miller’s alleged involvement in a fatal shooting in Alabama that killed 23-year-old Jamea Harris in January.
Recent reporting from NBA insiders, however, suggests that this incident is not a concern for teams who are considering drafting Miller on June 22. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski noted that Miller has received high praise from NBA teams so far during the pre-draft process.
RELATED: Brandon Miller’s alleged role in horrific shooting leaves us with more questions than answers
As my colleague Mike Sykes wrote, Miller had a nightmarish month during the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. Some organizations may hope to see Miller back in his peak form once in their gyms for private workouts.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony recently appeared on a podcast with Zach Lowe, however, and shared a noteworthy update about Miller’s pre-draft process (via The Lowe Post):
“He’s not in great shape right now, So I don’t know how great his workout is going to be. His interviews have not been great, I’ve been told. Both publicly and privately with NBA teams.”
It is interesting to note that Givony’s reporting on Miller’s interviews contradicts what was said by Woj, his ESPN colleague. But the news about Miller’s conditioning was potentially missing some context.
NBA Big Board’s Raphael Barlowe reported that an “illness” kept Miller from traveling from Nashville to Las Vegas for a workout with trainer Joe Abunassar. Barlowe added that he felt Miller looked “noticeably slimmer” at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago.
Adam Finkelstein, the director of scouting for 247 Sports, also reported that Miller looked “leaner than expected” and mentioned the illness as well.
Givony and Jeremy Woo later provided more details (via ESPN):
“It’s unclear what type of workout Miller — who was recovering at home in Nashville, Tennessee, from mononucleosis while his peers were training for the pre-draft process — will be able to conduct on his visit to Charlotte. Miller has lost 13 pounds and hasn’t had much basketball activity since the season ended, his agent, Wilmer Jackson, confirmed to ESPN.”
It won’t be an easy path for Miller to dominate a workout while recovering from mononucleosis, which may result in profound fatigue.
Still, however, Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman reported “members of Charlotte’s front office” believe that Miller has star potential.
For The Win has Miller projected at No. 2 overall in our latest NBA Mock Draft. Fans will have an answer once Charlotte makes a pick on June 22.
