Brandon Miller
Miller is Charlotte's lead scorer and a high-volume shooter, and his early efficiency is poor but the role itself looks secure.
Role
He has played 23 to 36 minutes in the three regular-season games listed on ESPN's and NBA.com's game logs through Oct. 24, and ESPN shows 31.3 per game. CBS Sports (Oct. 21) wrote that his role as the go-to scoring weapon is "pretty much set in stone". He took 21 shots in the Oct. 21 opener at Brooklyn, 14 against Atlanta and 29 against Miami. The wire note that he was out for a Tuesday preseason game against the Nets looks older than the regular-season logs, which show him playing Oct. 21, 23 and 24. The SI report on the Nets game called his shin contusion day-to-day, and he started the next preseason game, against Milwaukee. Several guards were out: SI listed Kon Knueppel, Coby White, Grant Williams and Kylan Boswell as likely to miss all of preseason. In one preseason game, Fox Sports said the Hornets started a big lineup with Miller at shooting guard alongside Royce O'Neale, Naz Reid and Moussa Diabate. I did not find a current depth chart or a confirmed regular-season starting five, and I did not find a back-to-back rest plan.
Optimists point to the volume. Per CBS Sports and ESPN he has taken about 21 shots a night and played team-high minutes, and he just signed a five-year, $209 million extension. He scored 34 points with 11 made free throws against Miami on Oct. 24. With several backcourt players out, he has little competition for shots.
Skeptics point to the efficiency. ESPN shows 29.7% shooting and 20.0% from three over his first three games. He shot 2-for-14 against Atlanta in a 128-81 loss, and he had five turnovers against Miami. A cold stretch on this much volume can hurt, and the lead-scorer role could shrink as the injured guards return.
Where analysts split
Broad agreement on the role, and I found no analyst split. The open question is whether his shooting recovers, and whether his shot volume holds once Knueppel, White and the other injured guards are back.
Research confidence: reported. Outlooks are grounded in web search over current reporting and refreshed through the season.
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