Brandon Miller's superstardom simply doesn't make sense

Really, what Brandon Miller is doing as a freshman at Alabama doesn’t make any sense. Having the opportunity to watch him in numerous settings and countless game opportunities, ranging from high school basketball to grassroots to all-star events, I’ll be the first to admit I have never seen Miller play well — well, at least up to his potential. What he should be doing every time he steps out on the floor.

Interestingly enough, it has nothing to do with his skillset and what he brings to the table as a basketball player from a pure talent perspective. That’s never been the issue. Instead, it was about the motor with the standout forward out of Antioch, Tennessee. 6-foot-9 with a long wingspan and advanced fundamentals as a big guard of sorts, Miller was among the most frustrating players I’ve watched in recent years. He would show glimpses of absolute brilliance, knocking down mid-range jumpers, using beautiful footwork and crisp ball handling to get to his spots and launch with an effortless silky-smooth finish. Mechanically sound as all get out. All of the tools were there for him to be a surefire star at the next level and potentially even the one after that.

The issue, though, is that brilliance came very rarely, no matter the setting. From the beginning, he coasted more often than he didn’t, bringing forth a lawnmower motor rather than a V8. It led to questions regarding just how good he could be at the collegiate level, especially at a place like Kentucky, who made a serious push in his recruitment before Alabama emerged as the heavy favorite among schools. How often does a recruit with motor issues ever figure it out? It happens, but certainly not the norm. You’d always prefer to tell a kid ‘woah’ than ‘go.’ With Miller, it was almost always the latter.

There were also strong professional rumblings, adding to questions regarding his competitive spirit. Would he coast his way to the NBA Draft via the G League or another pro path? Or would he go to college and utilize his skillset on a bigger and brighter stage? He chose the latter, but not before other schools decided to back off in his recruitment — namely Kentucky — leaving Alabama as the likely option down the home stretch.

At the time of his commitment, it seemed like a solid fit, especially considering the run-and-gun style of play Nate Oats is known for. It would be a system that’d allow him to show off his versatility in the SEC against great competition. But would he be able to turn that underwhelming motor into something that’d allow him to blossom into what his potential said he could be — and quickly, at that?

Phew, did he.

He proved that to be the case, emerging almost immediately as one of college basketball’s biggest and brightest stars, especially among freshman. Averaging 19.1 points on 43.0% shooting, 44.1% from three and 82.4% from the line to go with 8.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 14 games, he’s looked every bit like the top-10 recruit and potential lottery pick analysts hoped he’d be — admittedly a shocking development on my end.

Considering the fairly large sample size of viewings, asking if he could bring the effort on a possession-by-possession basis rather than the bright flashes he showed from time to time in high school is fair.

Seeing him now almost midway through what will almost certainly be his lone season of college, though, it’s abundantly clear that it may not have been about motor with the five-star freshman at all. In reality, it appears he was just bored from the very beginning, finding ways to score in double figures every time he stepped on the floor and doing so effortlessly.

He didn’t feel the need to exert himself unnecessarily. He knew he could show up, get his numbers and go home while looking the part of a five-star, top-10 prospect on film and highlights. But it’s not unfair to ask for more when you know he’s capable of that and see someone not even-keeled, but almost to the point of not caring.

All it took was for him to start playing alongside and against players of his caliber — clearly elite.

That brings us to Saturday’s matchup when the Kentucky Wildcats make their way to Tuscaloosa for a head-to-head battle with Miller and the Crimson Tide. It’s a program the star wing was highly interested in out of high school, one that shared mutual interest. John Calipari extended a scholarship offer and brought him in on an official visit to Lexington, along with in-person visits and a courtside presence at all of his grassroots games during evaluation periods.

All of the gifts that he showed in spurts at the high school level will now be put on full display against the Wildcats, at a position Kentucky has admittedly struggled to find consistent production.

The question comes down to what Kentucky will do to slow down the standout forward who is shaking up the SEC with his high-level production. The way he has stepped in and immediately exploded as one of the nation’s best up-and-coming stars is truly fascinating. He’s got the ability to put the ball on the floor and get to his spots at all three levels, knocking down shots out to the NBA three point line, but working beautifully out of the high post and showing off touch and sneaky athleticism around the basket. Miller has proven that he is clearly ready-made for not just the collegiate level but also the NBA.

Looking at his scouting report at the level before this, you might as well throw out anything you saw out of him before because he is a brand new player when he is as he is living up to the potential he’s always had. It’s refreshing in a sense to see a kid you want so desperately to be the player you thought he could be with the talent he clearly possessed, but simply couldn’t string together consistent production in that way.

Now, though, Miller is not just doing it consistently, but better than I’ve ever seen him. How will Kentucky respond? Who will step up in an effort to slow or (hopefully) shut him down? It’ll be a tough task no matter the case. The five-star freshman is at the top of the scouting report and objective No. 1 for the team on Saturday.