Watch: Brandon Miller takes flight as the No. 2 pick slams down a ferocious dunk
Charlotte Hornets 2023 No. 2 pick Brandon Miller converted arguably the most ferocious dunk of the 2023-24 NBA preseason on Thursday against the Washington Wizards. Late in the second quarter, Miller caught the ball at the 3-point line in transition and drove straight to the hoop. He proceeded to throw down a nasty one-handed poster dunk over Wizards big man Daniel Gafford, which sent Gafford flying to the ground.
Unfortunately for Miller, Gafford had his feet set and was standing outside of the restricted area before the contact occurred. So, Miller was ultimately called for a charge, and the dunk was waived off. Nonetheless, the play is still one of the more memorable ones from preseason so far.
Check out Brandon Miller’s waived-off poster dunk below:
Brandon Miller says trash-talking Michael Jordan showed Charlotte another side of him
Before the 2023 NBA draft, Brandon Miller made headlines for talking trash to former Charlotte Hornets majority owner Michael Jordan during a pre-draft workout. During an appearance on “Podcast P with Paul George,” Miller was asked about this moment. According to Miller, his refusal to back down from the Chicago Bulls legend changed Charlotte’s perception of him:
“I think it kind of showed another side of me."
Miller added that Jordan was also caught off guard by his extreme confidence:
“But I think me responding to him, I don't think he thought I was gonna say anything to him just because, you know, he is Michael Jordan.
“But you know, I did see him airball that free throw. So that is one thing I have above him.”
(24:40 mark below)
Miller struggled in his preseason debut against the Miami Heat on Tuesday. He finished with just eight points, three rebounds, three assists and one steal on 33.3% shooting in 22 minutes. Miller followed that up with just nine points, six rebounds, two assists, one steal, one block and one 3-pointer on 50.0% shooting in 26 minutes against Washington on Thursday.
However, the 20-year-old still has immense upside as an athletic, 6-foot-9 forward who can space the floor and score off the dribble. So, Miller still has plenty of time to figure things out.
Also read: Grading top 5 NBA 2023 draft picks' first preseason games