Can the 2023 Second Overall Pick Win the NBA's MIP Award This Season?

We are two months away from the 2025-26 NBA season officially starting, and oddsmakers across the country are already lining up the favorites for each award. One of these awards is the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award. The early favorites are Andrew Nembhard of the Indiana Pacers and Deni Avdija of the Portland Trail Blazers. However, if you look down the list, Hornets fans will find that their star player from Alabama is listed at +2000 odds on BETMGM. The 2023 second overall pick is looking to have a bounce-back year after a wrist injury ruined his sophomore season. Last season, Brandon Miller averaged 21 points, five rebounds, and four assists for a Hornets team that finished 19-63 on the year. Yet, if the six-foot-seven forward takes the next step in his career and the Hornets improve as a team as well, then Miller may find himself receiving some hardware after all.

Miller is currently rehabbing from his wrist injury, and he hopes to be ready for the start of training camp. The former five-star recruit brings offensive firepower and defensive versatility to a team that needs it. He is a talented three-level scorer who can create his own shot and shoot from anywhere on the court. His high release point makes it hard for defenders to block his shot. Miller also opens up space on the court for his teammates, such as LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges. While his defense could use some work, Miller has the potential to guard multiple positions due to his size and length. The former Alabama forward is a key building block for the Hornets' future, and if the team wants to achieve success in the future, then Miller will certainly be a part of it. Past winners of the MIP Award have helped their organizations take big leaps, such as Ja Morant, who won the award in 2021-22, when he helped the Grizzlies earn the number two seed in the Western Conference Playoffs a year after making the playoffs through the Play-In Tournament. Pascal Siakam won the award in 2018-19, when he helped the Toronto Raptors win their first NBA Finals. Miller does not have to help the Hornets win a championship or get a high seed in the playoffs, but if the Hornets do make a significant jump this year, such as getting the fifth or sixth seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs, a year after not making the playoffs, and Miller puts up numbers that help the team make that jump then he will definitely be in contention to win the award.

Overall, Miller’s growth this season will determine if he has a shot to win it. Oddsmakers in Vegas believe he has a chance, or else they would not have put him on the list. Bouncing back from his injury to winning one of the significant awards in the NBA would be a good story to follow for Hornets fans. His odds may be difficult, but they are not unrealistic because Miller has the offensive skillset and the defensive potential to take the next step in his career. If he puts it all together, then Miller’s name could be joined with the likes of Morant and Siakam as winners of the NBA Most Improved Award.