Hornets GM Mitch Kupchak was woefully unprepared to defend drafting Brandon Miller

23.06.2023 19:20

The biggest question leading up to the NBA Draft was surrounding the mystique of what the Hornets would do with the No. 2 overall pick. Would they go with Brandon Miller, as many mock drafts — including our own — predicted? Or would they take a swing on Scoot Henderson?

As it turns out, the Hornets went the Miller route. It wasn’t totally unexpected, obviously, but considering that Henderson was considered a can’t-miss prospect just a few months ago it’s a bit jarring seeing him fall down to No. 3.

Obviously, there were questions surrounding Miller leading up to this process. Not just basketball questions, either.

He was allegedly tied to a shooting that turned deadly during his time in Alabama. Miller hasn’t been charged in the case, but his involvement became a specter over his freshman season in Tuscaloosa this year for obvious reasons.

So, naturally, Hornets GM Mitch Kupchak was asked what made the Hornets comfortable with taking Miller, considering both his play on the court and the things transpiring off of it.

And, well, let’s just say his answer probably won’t leave Hornets fans confident.

What made Mitch Kupchak and the Hornets comfortable with Alabama’s Brandon Miller? Well … pic.twitter.com/OrGn8F0QEi

— David Newton (@DNewtonespn) June 23, 2023

“Every answer we got to every question…I would say, he is a freshman, right? So he’s a little bit, I would say younger than…Excuse me I wouldn’t even say younger — Nah, I better not even go in that direction actually. I’ll just back off.”

Well, alright then, Mitch. That’s a pretty weird response to what amounted to a pretty simple question. And, if you’re taking the guy, you’d think that you’d be able to answer something like this.

There’s a lot to love about Brandon Miller, man. He’s a 6-foot-9 guard with an incredible jump shot and a ton of upside. Kupchak seemed uncomfortable talking about his age for some reason. But he’s not wrong — Miller is young. If he wanted to make a point about that, he probably should’ve just done it.

Now, everyone is just a bit confused about what’s going on here.