Brandon Miller played his freshman year at Alabama before declaring for the 2023 NBA Draft. He was an integral part of Alabama’s successful season. They finished with a 31-6 record and the number one overall seed in March Madness.
Miller’s season averages were 18.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.9 blocks, and 0.9 steals on 43/38/86 shooting splits.
Brandon Miller 2023 NBA Draft Profile
College Career
He was voted second-team All-American, SEC Player of the Year, SEC Rookie of the Year, First-team All-SEC, and SEC tournament MVP. Even as a freshman, Miller stood out in a competitive SEC conference. Last season, the SEC had eight teams get into the NCAA Tournament.
One thing that should be mentioned is Miller’s off-court incident this year. Miller was involved in an unfortunate incident in which he allegedly provided Darius Miles with the weapon used in a murder. In the case, Miller wasn’t charged for allegedly delivering the gun. This article does a great job of breaking down why he wasn’t charged.
While extremely unfortunate and saddening, this shouldn’t be a big enough red flag not to take someone with his talent. It was a considerable distraction for himself and his teammates at Alabama, but it doesn’t make him a risky pick going forward.
Strengths
Miller has several strengths that should translate well in the NBA.
Offensively, he has a reliable shot and 6-foot-9 length to elevate over defenders, making him difficult to guard. In addition, Miller is a threat from anywhere on the court. Whether he’s posting up, in the mid-range, or beyond the arc, he’s capable of scoring.
He can fit seamlessly into a system by playing on-ball and off-the-ball as a floor spacer. As a result, he should be easy to integrate as a starter from day one. Miller isn’t someone you have to worry about taking away from other players’ games too much.
In addition, he is highly athletic and explosive in transition opportunities. Miller’s length, athleticism, and knack for the ball allow him to impact games even when plays aren’t explicitly drawn up for him. He is an effective rim-runner, slasher, and rebounder.
Defensively, Miller’s a versatile defender that switches well onto multiple positions. Versatility is crucial in the NBA’s pick-and-roll heavy game style. With the number of talented forwards in the NBA, Miller could be someone to take on the responsibility of guarding the other team’s best wing. He’s also a good help defender and rebounder due to his length, athleticism, and ability to anticipate plays.
Miller’s strengths make him one of the safest picks in the draft because of his high floor. At worst, you’re getting a lengthy, athletic forward that can defend multiple positions and space the floor. 3-and-D players are highly coveted in today’s NBA. Miller’s strengths offer that, with the potential for much more due to his ability to create his own shot.
Weaknesses
Miller has a well-rounded game and is a great two-way player. However, the area Miller can improve at the next level is playmaking. He needs to set his teammates up more often and control the ball. Of course, part of that comes with being 20 years old. But, at times, he’s too careless with the ball. This is evidenced by his 1-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Miller is a safe bet to be a good starter in the NBA. But, if he wants to ascend to star level, he must become a better playmaker. That is the only thing capping his ceiling. It might make some teams question whether or not he has the skill set to be their go-to franchise player rather than a fantastic complementary piece.
He also played poorly in Alabama’s three March Madness games. In Alabama’s upset loss to San Diego State, Miller shot three for 19 from the field, finishing with nine points to go along with six turnovers. This could leave some wondering whether or not Miller is ready to handle the big spotlight and pressure of the NBA.
We give Miller the benefit of the doubt on his poor March Madness performance. San Diego State is one of the best defensive teams in the NCAA, finishing with an adjusted defensive efficiency KenPom rating of fourth overall. In addition, it’s an extremely small sample size of three games compared to the rest of Miller’s impressive body of work.
Still, his poor performance should be listed as a weakness when evaluating him. It makes more sense to nitpick as a projected top pick, as all these players at the top of the board are extremely talented.
NBA Player Comparison
Paul George. Brandon Miller is 6-foot-9 and 200 pounds, while George is 6-foot-8 and 220 pounds. Besides their similar build, Miller has a similar shooting form to George. So, it makes sense that they both have success with their shot.
In his freshman season at Alabama, Miller was efficient from all over the court. He finished with shooting splits of 43/38/86.
George’s NBA career averages are 20.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.5 steals per game on 44/38/85 shooting splits.
Brandon Miller will enter the league with similar shooting and defensive skills as George, making him an impactful 3-and-D player from day one. As mentioned, one area Miller will have to work on to catch up to George in the NBA is his playmaking. But Miller has all the tools suggesting he’ll eventually get there with more experience and time to develop.
George is an eight-time NBA All-Star and the number 12 ranked player for this season. While lofty expectations, this is still within the range of outcomes for Miller. That can only be said for a select few players entering this year’s draft, making Miller the most coveted draft prospect out of the NCAA this season.
