Brandon Miller looks like a franchise cornerstone for the Hornets

On Sunday night, CharlotteHornets rookie Brandon Miller had the best performance of his youngNBA career, scoring a career-high 35 points on 10-of-25 shootingfrom the field and 5-of-12 from three while grabbing 6 rebounds andblocking 2 shots.

Miller did it in a variety ofways, including stepbacks, floaters and drives to the rim. He hit 5threes and showcased the three-level-scoring potential that helpedhim go No. 2 overall in the 2023 NBA Draft.

No. 2 Pick Brandon Miller dropped acareer-high 35 PTS in Charlotte against the Pacers! pic.twitter.com/WWhBGqHFf1

This outing served as astatement game for Miller, who has mostly been an afterthought inthe Rookie-of-the-Year race since his fellow freshmen VictorWembanyama and Chet Holmgren are having all-time rookie seasons.Miller has faced a lot of doubters, as people have been skepticalsince the pick was made, with many citing No. 3 overall pick ScootHenderson as the better overall prospect.

Over his last 10 games, the6-foot-9 forward has been averaging 22.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and2.7 assists, on 48% shooting from the field, 40% from three and 85%from the free-throw line. Miller is starting to figure it out andproving he belongs in the league.

The 21-year-old’s career-nightmade him the first Hornets rookie since 1993 to have a 35+ pointgame, joining Alonzo Mourning and Rex Chapman as the only rookiesto do so in Charlotte’s franchise history.

With Miller averaging 28 pointsover his last four games, the No. 2 overall pick did something thatturned heads. With nineminutes in the second quarter, Miller tallied his first field goalof the game with a driving layup over Indiana Pacers big man MylesTurner. After scoring,Miller sprinted down the floor on the other end as TJ McConnellfound Obi Toppin leaking out on a fastbreak. However, Toppin wasnot able to catch the ball, leading to the turnover. Despite that,Miller was clearly distraught at his teammates' lack of effort andwas heard saying “get the f*** back!”

Brandon Miller: "Get the fuck back!"🗣️ #LetsFly35 pic.twitter.com/2QVlojAkpX

Even after scoring and makingthe layup, Miller was the first one back on defense ahead of theother Hornets players, who were jogging nonchalantly with justthree minutes elapsed in the second quarter.

It sent a message to histeammates, coaching staff, organization and the whole city ofCharlotte raring to see a competitive basketball team in theirlifetimes: they now have a someone who cares and is willing to giveeverything night in and night out to win. And it came from theirprized 21-year-old rookie.

This type of winning mentalityseparates the good players from the great players— the willingness to work hard, the ability tomotivate himself and others to win, and being a leader who holdsteammates accountable on their mistakes.

As Charlotte looks to build awinning team after being stuck in mediocrity, perhaps Miller is thecornerstone they've been looking for in recent years.