Brandon Miller said his surgically-repaired right wrist is “probably around 90-95 percent now” and declared he’ll be ready to play when next season begins, Langston Wertz Jr. of the Charlotte Observer reports.
Miller underwent surgery to repair the torn scapholunate ligament in his right wrist in late January.
The No. 2 overall pick of the 2023 draft, Miller was named to the All-Rookie First Team in 2023/24 after a debut season which saw him finish third in Rookie of the Year balloting.
He was having a solid second season as well, improving his counting stats in several categories, including points (21.1), rebounds (4.9), assists (3.6), steals (1.1) and blocks (0.7) per game. Miller posted a .403/.355/.861 shooting slash line in 27 appearances (34.2 minutes).
“Playing (27) games, that was the hardest thing of my career right there,” he told Wertz. “Just watching basketball the whole season. My goal is always to play every game and play 110% in every game.”
Miller has started contact drills after the lengthy process of waiting for the wrist to heal. He knew he could ramp up when he was able to shoot without any pain.
“I’m just excited to get back out on the court with my guys,” he said, adding “not everything’s going to be a smooth route. You’re going to have ups and downs, a lot of bumps and curves.”
Miller is hopeful that he and oft-injured point guard LaMelo Ball can stay healthy and turn around the franchise’s fortunes.
“It’s always the main thing, you know, just keeping our bodies together. We know it’s a long season. Having us two on the floor can make the big difference (in having) a winning team,” Miller said.
The Hornets won the Summer League title in Las Vegas and Miller is looking forward to playing with first-round picks Kon Knueppel and Liam McNeeley.
“They are going to bring space, a lot of space, with their shooting ability. I feel like that’s going to help us in the long run,” Miller said. “Their confidence is going to be the biggest thing, you know, coming into this league, just building their confidence early.”