Mailbag: What are the chances Charlotte Hornets rookie Brandon Miller will start soon?
Things haven’t gone smoothly at the season’s outset for the Charlotte Hornets.
Even though it’s a small sample size since they’ve barely played a handful of games, it feels like there are even more questions now than there were a couple of weeks ago leading into a highly-anticipated season.
In the latest mailbag, we answer reader queries about the likelihood of Brandon Miller starting soon, Miles Bridges’ status, whether there’s a timeline for Cody Martin’s return, and more.
Brandon Miller
Jay Henley asks on X, formerly known as Twitter: How soon until Brandon Miller starts?
It’s going to be a while before that happens. While it’s understandable to think that he could be in the line right now given he was selected No. 2 overall in June’s draft, it’s not going to happen anytime soon for a couple of reasons. For one, Gordon Hayward makes too much money to come off the bench and it’s just hard to see the Hornets having him do that early on in the season. Depending on how things are trending in the coming weeks could alter that, but it’s currently unlikely.
Secondly, they like the rookie’s versatility off the bench. Using him as a reserve also keeps the pressure off and gives them an offensive lift. The real question is, how long before he’s out on the floor for a good number of game-closing minutes.
Miles Bridges
@FootballnFpl asks on X: How do we rate Miles chances of actually coming back after 10 games?
Once again, unless something that’s unknown comes to light publicly between now and Nov. 17 that changes the mind of the NBA or Hornets’ brass, nothing has changed. He’s still practicing and traveling with the team and is playing pickup games at the end of practice to get his conditioning under control as much as possible so he’s in good shape physically when he’s eligible to return to the lineup in two weeks.
Bally Sports TV problems
Aaron asks on X: When will we be free from the Hornets/Bally tyranny?
This is more of an NBA problem and not just a specific problem to the Hornets. While, yes, the local television situation with Charlotte pro basketball broadcasts has been a frustrating thing for most people for years now, the current problem is cropping up in other markets, too. Any team with Bally Sports as its local partner is dealing with the same thing.
Perhaps, it would be wise for the Hornets to try what Phoenix is doing, which is carrying all non-national exclusive Suns’ games over the airwaves for free in the city’s metropolitan area. But it’s probably going to take the NBA stepping in soon and insisting its markets have a reliable direct-to-consumer option.
Cody Martin
Evan asks on X: Is there any timetable on Cody Martin?
No, there is not. As previously mentioned, the Hornets are going to take it extremely slow with him to ensure there are no setbacks and he’s not in a start-and-stop situation like he was a season ago. He’s just beginning to do some on-court work individually and is riding the stationary bike. But he hasn’t been cleared for practice yet, nor cleared for contact, and it could be a few more weeks until that happens. It depends on how he’s feeling as he ramps up his activity.
Early-game woes
Derek Thompson asks on X: Why are we giving up so many points in the first quarter?
That’s currently the $10,000 question. And it’s something nobody seems to have answers for. Really, it falls on the players. The coaches can have the Hornets’ strategically ready to play, but if they come out and don’t execute or the “want-to” isn’t there from the get-go, that’s not on the coaches. The players must have some pride, dig down deep and show that everything they said in the preseason about wanting to be a different year wasn’t just lip service and they actually really feel that way.
Steve Clifford
Jordan asks on X: How long a leash do you think Steve Clifford has? Is the pressure there?
He has a great deal of respect with the new organization, so it’s hard to see the Hornets just discarding him and pushing him to the side. Now, with new ownership in place and wanting to change the franchise’s culture, everyone — not just Steve Clifford — is on notice to make it happen this season or the chances of change across-the-board in the offseason rise exponentially.
Terry Rozier
Jarrett McClain asks on X: Without looking at advanced analytics, it seems like Terry Rozier’s usage is extremely high and unsustainable for 82 games. Is there a plan to mitigate his usage/minutes without sacrificing offensive efficiency?
Backup point guard was one of the biggest questions surrounding the Hornets’ roster construction leading into the regular season, especially with LaMelo Ball still working his way back into form.
Reserve point guard is a very important position for the Hornets and figuring out how to get Terry’s Rozier’s minutes under control is something Steve Clifford and his staff are sorting through. But with Frank Ntilikina injured and Ish Smith still getting into shape, it’s going to be a while before Clifford has the full backcourt picture solved.
This story was originally published November 3, 2023 at 5:30 AM.
