Detroit Pistons draft: One huge red flag with prospect Brandon Miller

The Detroit Pistons are guaranteed a top-5 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, but unless they are picking first, there is no guarantee how they will use it.

If they were to land the 2nd pick, there could be a trade, as the Pistons reportedly like Brandon Miller, and could use the allure around Scoot Henderson to land a big trade package to move back.

Some fans have gone as far as to say they would take Miller with the 2nd pick and forget about Scoot, choosing Miller’s more obvious fit with what the Detroit Pistons already have. This seems like an awful waste of an asset, as some team would almost certainly trade up to get Scoot and potentially give the Pistons another valuable asset or two to do it.

The Pistons are not in a position to draft for “fit” or “need” with a top-3 pick, so should take whoever they think will be the better player.

That very well could be Miller, as we’ve seen how valuable two-way wings are in these current NBA Playoffs (let’s hope Troy Weaver is taking notes).

But some scouts have rightfully pointed out that Miller does have one big red flag (aside from the off-the-court stuff) surrounding his game that should have teams concerned.

Detroit Pistons draft: Red flag with Brandon Miller

A recent article in The Swish Theory pointed out one big red flag around Brandon Miller, which is that he was far less productive against good competition.

At 20-years-old, Miller is old for a freshman, so you’d expect him to do well against all levels of competition if he is truly worthy of a top-3 pick. After all, the competition level in the NBA is a HUGE leap from the NCAA, so most of the top prospects step up their game (or stay the same) against elite competition.

That was not the case with Miller, whose production on both ends decreased significantly against top-50 teams this season. Here is what The Swish Theory had to say:

"“The obvious knock on Miller this season was his rim finishing. He shot 74% at the rim against teams ranked 50-400, an elite figure that fits a top scorer prospect. But only 44% at the rim against teams in the top 50, representing about half of his possessions. Considering Brandon is also old for a freshman, this is a bit concerning for a player with his level of touch and fluidity with the ball…Perhaps more concerning, however, was the defensive tape as competition increased…The same lack of flexibility and burst that limits his finishing also make Miller a worse chaser from interior to perimeter. His help was often too conservative into the paint, with not enough burst to then close out effectively……the overall state of his game reads more like a #10 pick than top 5.”"

This is only one evaluation of course, but others have brought up Miller’s struggles against top teams, including his epic collapse in the NCAA Tournament.

If Miller lacks the burst to be a finisher at the rim or to be an elite defender, then he is more of a 3-and-D prospect.

Is Miller a true top-3 prospect or a guy who benefitted from being on a good team and running up stats against bad teams? The Detroit Pistons will have to answer these questions before spending a pick on Miller.