Charlotte Hornets fans are covering their face once again after forward Brandon Miller headed to the locker room holding his arm in pain during the opening minutes of the second quarter on Saturday night’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers, grabbing his arm in deep pain. The 22-year-old star sophomore won’t be returning to the court.
Miller was set to have a comeback junior year in the league after suffering a torn scapholunate ligament in his right wrist in January 2025, which required surgery and resulted in him missing the rest of the 2024-25 season. Miller logged just 27 games last season for Charlotte, averaging 21.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.1 steals, a vast improvement compared to his rookie year and one that showed major growth.
Miller checked off all the boxes for looking healthy and ready during Charlotte’s season opener against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday, October 22nd, logging 25 points and seven assists across 31 minutes while playing confidently on both ends.
The Hornets weren’t projected to be a playoff contender in the Eastern Conference to start the 2025-2026 regular season, as ESPN BET set their win/loss total at 26.5. Given the lackluster free agency additions and the uncertainty surrounding LaMelo Ball and Miller’s health status, the Hornets weren’t given much of a fighting chance to open the floodgates or silence early critics.
As it stands, the Hornets can do nothing but wait for further test results to determine if the extent of Miller’s injury was either a freak accident or another potential season-ending injury that could reshape their entire outlook.
