Hornets rookie Brandon Miller adapting to new environment: ‘I feel like they trust me’
Four months into his tenure sporting purple and teal, Brandon Miller is still calm and relaxed.
Not much — if anything — seems to faze the Charlotte Hornets’ prized rookie. He’s easygoing and collected, relying on the knowledge he’s picking up here and there from the veterans.
Miller is settling in, doing his best to get woven into the Hornets’ fabric leading into Wednesday’s season-opener against Atlanta. And he’s enjoying every second of the newfound brotherhood he’s creating with his new teammates.
“Like I’ve said since day one when I came here, it’s really all about the bonds with everybody,” Miller said. “I feel like the stronger the bond, the better play on the court, just as far as knowing each other’s strengths and weaknesses. But getting to know each other off the court is kind of more important too, just to see what kind of person everybody is.
“You know you always want to trust your teammates. So, just to find out who they are now that’s it’s a job everyday is kind of something new for a rookie definitely. But would I say hard? Definitely not. Just because the older guys are welcoming.”
But don’t expect any team-bonding cameos at the movie theater to catch the latest release. Spotting a contingent of Hornets at the local bowling alley trying to knock down a few pins isn’t happening, either.
Even the 20-year-old has learned any conversations about those kinds of excursions are a non-starter for obvious reasons.
“Well, we can’t go outside,” Miller said. “Well, we can go out, but I mean if you want to be trampled, yeah, let’s do it. I think everybody is just kind of stay inside guys, just like to be to themselves and their families. But I think just a simple phone call is simple, just to see what they are doing or how their day went.
“Just talk about everything that’s not basketball, just the outside world, just checking up on them.”
In a five-plus minute conversation, Miller spoke exclusively with The Observer about how he’s fitting in, his biggest adjustment so far, playing for coach Steve Clifford and more.
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Roderick Boone: On the court, how would you describe how things have one for you so far as you learn to be a pro?
Brandon Miller: It’s fun. Like you said, learning. Learning from everybody. Coach Cliff, all the vets, I feel like they trust me, just to be out there as a young player and just contribute at a high level and compete at a high level, just to try to make as many winning plays and get as many wins as we can.
RB: What’s it been like playing under Steve Clifford so far? What do you know about him and how does his attention to details make you a better player?
BM: Like you said his attention to details is … If you mess up one little thing he’s on you. So I think I definitely like a coach like that, that’s always on me and coaching me to make me better, a better player and a better person outside of basketball.
RB: How comfortable are you now that you have been able to ease into things and are not expected to be ‘the man’ right away?
BM: I think just coming in with the intensity every day, just bringing everything you’ve got, trying to make your teammates better and of course your teammates are going to make you better just from coaching. So, I just think coming in every day, being a sponge, soaking up everything, learning every day. I think that will make my career better.
RB: You said things are fun for you. What’s the best thing about being in this new environment?
BM: Well, preseason just traveling with new teammates, like I said building bond switch everybody, I think the traveling part I think is the best part.
RB: Speaking to a lot of rookies over the years, they say it’s an adjustment getting used to all the travel. What have you been told about long road trips and the importance of taking care of yourself?
BM: It’s really just taking care of your body as much as you can. Eighty-two games is a long, long, long season. And I feel like if you don’t take care of your body, you are only going to play in probably about 30-50. So I think just with everybody here on the staff — trainers, players — I think they kind of hold everybody accountable that if your body is beat, they are definitely going to tell you to get on the table.
RB: Back at the NBA Draft combine, you spoke about teams telling you it was important for you to bulk up and add some mass. How’s that going?
BM: My body is great — my body is great. I think just building strength, I’m able to take bumps. I think that can go a long way in playing 82 games, that and just recovery and what you put in your body.
RB: With preseason done and the season starting Wednesday against the Hawks, what’s your excitement level like knowing games are going to start counting and the team is trying to do something special?
BM: I think we’re ready, I know we’re definitely ready, just to be out here on the court playing with each other and just to come out here and compete at a high level and just go out here and try to get a win against a great Atlanta team. And not just one game. I think our goal at the end of the season is just be in the playoffs and hold up that big trophy at the end.
This story was originally published October 23, 2023 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Hornets rookie Brandon Miller adapting to new environment: ‘I feel like they trust me’."
