Monday’s Summer League matchup between the San Antonio Spurs and the Charlotte Hornets featured the Summer League debut of No. 2 overall draft pick Brandon Miller. A ton of expectations come with going so high in the draft, and his debut didn’t exactly go to plan.
Every player wants to start his NBA career off on the right foot. Miller definitely didn’t do that, having perhaps one of the roughest debuts for a top draft pick in recent memory.
Miller shot 1-for-6 from the floor in the first half, recording five points and three rebounds while picking up six fouls.
Hornets rookie Brandon Miller has five points, three rebounds, one block and six fouls at halftime vs Spurs in summer league action.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) July 4, 2023
In a regular season NBA game, he would have fouled out with 33 seconds left in the second quarter. Luckily for him, the foul limit in NBA Summer League games is ten fouls, meaning that Miller was able to play in the second half.
Miller was able to pick things up slightly in the second half, finishing with 18 points on 5-11 shooting from the field. However, defending without fouling is very clearly something that he will need to work on.
One shaky Summer League game certainly isn’t the end of the world, but the NBA world was certainly hoping to see more from Miller in his debut.
(truly please for the love of god do not extrapolate out Brandon Miller's first game of summer league as if it's the be-all, end-all. first pro game, playing with a non-ideal team around him, don't overreact)
— Sam Vecenie (@Sam_Vecenie) July 4, 2023
https://twitter.com/TheBoxAndOne_/status/1676030064779993092
Brandon Miller in 8 minutes:
0 PTS
0/2 FGM
0/1 3PM
1 REB
0 AST
2 TO
3 PF's
-20 +/-Michael Jordan drafted WELL!!! pic.twitter.com/CNSY5mVFJU
— Jabari Walker’s Revenge (@OSportsU) July 4, 2023
Brandon Miller in the first half:
5 points
3 rebounds
6 fouls pic.twitter.com/qOKcdXSLey— NBA Retweet (@RTNBA) July 4, 2023
Brandon Miller in the first half of his NBA summer league debut:
5 PTS
3 REB
6 Fouls
1-5 FG
-27 +/-Struggling. pic.twitter.com/cUaP2gQHVN
— NBA World (@NBAW0RLD24) July 4, 2023
Brandon Miller in the 1st half of his Summer League debut:
🔥 5 PTS
🔥 3 REB
🔥 6 Fouls
🔥 1-5 FGTHIS KID IS ON A MISSION 😤 pic.twitter.com/OewzyEPc3y
— NBA Memes (@NBAMemes) July 4, 2023
Miller will have plenty more opportunities to show exactly what he is capable of at the NBA level. But you only get one chance to make a first impression, and Miller’s first impression could have been much smoother.
