Leonard Miller

Strengths & Development Areas:

Functional Athleticism

Fluidity/Bending

Motor

Speed

Shooting Form Issues

Catch & Shoot

Model Output:

Original

9.64

No Impact

8.25

Positional

9.6

Humble

8.92

Pos Humble

10.6

Average

9.4

Model View:

Miller scored really well in all of the models and generally projected to be a Plus Starter with All Star Potential. The models like his age, the strength of the competition in the G-League, his steals + blocks + oboards per 40, and his rebounding. He also put up the best raw impact stats of any of the G-League players this year.

Film View:

Offensively, Miller is a really strong athlete. He is explosive in space and covers ground quickly, making him an excellent cutter, excellent in transition, and strong taking 2-3 dribbles to the hoop on a straight line drive. Miller also has some fuilidity and body control, which along with his long…

Offensively, Miller is a really strong athlete. He is explosive in space and covers ground quickly, making him an excellent cutter, excellent in transition, and strong taking 2-3 dribbles to the hoop on a straight line drive. Miller also has some fuilidity and body control, which along with his long arms helps him finish inside whether off a pass or on offensive rebounds. He is a quick jumper who can finish quickly on an inside pass or finishing after receiving a pass from a P&R. Miller has decent handles for a big man, they are pretty basic and not very elusive, but enough that he can grab and go or opportunistically drive to the hoop. However, Miller doesn’t always accept his limitations and had any number of ball handling turnover this year where he played a bit out of control. He’s already strong enough to absorb some contact on drives even in the G-League and can even set a decent screen, which might be more impactful in the P&R with more spacing in the NBA (versus the Ignite in particular). Miller is also unselfish and willing to pass and shows some nascent ability from the high post, but it still a work in progress and won’t be utilized there at the start of his career. The big issue for Miller is that he’s not quite bit enough to be a true rim runner, but his jump shot is a work in progress, very stiff mechanics and an almost push shot motion, not totally broken, but definitely needs refinement.

Defensively, Miller is long enough and springy enough he can play a step off on the perimeter and still contest effectively He needs to add weight, has the tools and effort to be a good post defender, but could be moved, which if fair for someone so young in the G-League, but will take some time to get to an NBA level. His quick jumping and long arms help him defensively, gets some weakside blocks, transition blocks, and can get to the perimeter and contest shooters. He has pretty decent lateral speed and can definitely step out to the perimeter credibly and might have the ability to change direction, but his footwork is off, lets his legs cross and then has to step back, he can do it decently fast, but needs work. He is also decent in rotating to help inside and out, but still needs to work on his overall awareness on this end.

Physically Similar NCAA Prospects:

(Based on Height / Wingspan / Weight, not on Playing Style / Skill / Ceiling)

Paul ReedNicolas ClaxtonChristian Wood

Best Stats:

Raw -3.8 net rating; 1.96 WS; 63% TS%

As I have mentioned before, I end up normalizing FIBA and G-League stats so that players in Pro Leagues don’t have their impact unfairly compared to NCAA players. G-League players for example typically have a negative net rating and win shares below 1.0. For reference Scoot Henderson had a raw -20.6 net rating and -0.38 win shares. It’s impressive that he made an impact at such a young age.

Worst Stats:

30% on threes; 1.06 blocks per 40

One of these numbers probably has to change. On paper the 30% isn’t bad. But the form that went along with it is.

To be a star or to hit their ceiling:

Miller needs to develop his jump shot. He won’t be a true shot blocker. And being able to stretch the floor in the modern NBA will be key to his ability to play a major role.

Verdict:

The jump shot in a real concern. But Miller is young and showed a lot of growth this season. I think he has enough skill that if he is willing to step in and play a role, he can make an impact even before he can shoot. But he won’t really be able to reach his ceiling without it. The worry is that if he doesn’t develop his jumper, how many big men are there who aren’t true rim protectors and who are not floor spacers? Zeke Nnaji? Jared Vanderbildt? Precious Achiuwa? Xavier Tillman? Dwight Powell? Brandon Clarke? It’s a list and it’s not all bad players, but it’s a few marginal players and a couple of good players, but I guess the point is it is a much narrower path.

That said, by the time you start getting outside of the lottery, the combination of skill and physical traits is hard to pass up on. And the impact Miller made and the growth he has shown over the last year in a professional environment is impressive. At this point, I think it’s a calculated risk to gamble on his upside in the 12-18 range,

NBA Comp High:

Poor. Poor. Poor man's Chris Bosh

Chris Bosh is in the HOF and as much as I love Miller and am all about taking him in the mid-teens, I am in no way projection his realistic high end outcomes to be a HOF career. With that said, in terms of playing style. Bosh developed into more of a three point threat later in his career and was a pretty dynamic scorer who could play on and off the ball. And who was a solid passer, but not a even a real plus passing big like a Siakam. And he was a good defender who could guard down low and block shots and who could step out to the perimeter, but he wasn't really a true rim protector or an elite perimeter defender. I don't see Miller developing Bosh's post skills or overall scoring ability. But I do think a successful Miller would move and act like Bosh on a basketball court. He would just do so in a much less impactful way (again, Plus Starter or lower level All Star, not HOF career).

NBA Comp Medium:

Taller Brandon Clarke

If Miller is never really an impactful shooter, he's already shown he can make an impact on games in the G-League and he might in the NBA in a manner similar to Clarke. Like Clarke, he's more of a threat to generate turnovers than blocks (though they both get some). And he's just a very efficient scorer inside, who also plays very good defense and used his length and ability to credibly guard the perimeter to make an impact.

NBA Comp Low:

Zeke NNaji (so far)

This is a little unfair to Zeke as he just finished his third season and is on a team with these young up and comers Nikola Jokić and Aaron Gordon in front of him on a team that just had what you could describe as the most unsuccessful tank of all time. I mean they really blew their chance at Wemby. But so far, Nnaji has struggled to get off the bench, despite not being a bad player. But he's not a rim protector and doesn't space the floor. And while he could end up making much more of an impact down the road, he is running out of time to do it in Denver. Miller could follow a similar path. If he's drafted in the teens or twenties, he may be on a good team and if he can't shoot or protect the rim, he might struggle to get on the floor and then if he does produce, it maybe on his second contract with another franchise.

Leonard Miller

Advanced

Efficiency

Strengths & Development Areas:

Model Output:

Original

No Impact

Positional

Humble

Pos Humble

Average

Film View:

Physically Similar NCAA Prospects:

NBA Comp High:

NBA Comp Medium:

NBA Comp Low:

Per Game

Totals

Per 36 Minutes

Advanced Stats

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