Oliver Miller vs Shawn Bradley

Point forward · Post #1 » by **Point forward** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 9:16 am

For your team, would you rather take Oliver "Big Mac" Miller or Shawn "Stick Insect" Bradley?

Miller (6-9, 300+ lbs): 7/6/2/1.5

Bradley(7-6, 240 lbs.): 8/6/1/2.5

Since I saw Bradley SUCK for the German national team, I take Miller.

Post #2 » by **TrueLAfan** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 12:42 pm

Man, Miller! Miller obviously would prefer to be at a large buffet table, but Bradley usually looked like he didn'i like playing basketball. Miller actually enjoyed the game.

And he was good at it. Miller was a really good player; smart, coordinated, high skill level. In his first six years, he shot 53%, had a better than 1 to 1 assist/turnover ratio, and got a ton of blocks and a decent amount of steals. Kinda sad to think what he could've been like if he had played at 280. Still, he was better than Bradley in my book.

scottyo50 · Post #3 » by **scottyo50** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 2:44 pm

miller. gotta show love for one of the most skilled timberwolves ever.

if he played in the "run and gun" systems in pheonix and gs, would it be called roll and gun for him? get it? eh? eh?........

Post #4 » by **Luv those Knicks** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 5:57 pm

In their primes they were both decent players, but I think I'd take Miller. He had that all around game he shot pretty well. People remember Miller as a rolly polly, but he was a good player prior to his balooning up to 400 lbs.

Optimus_Steel · Post #5 » by **Optimus_Steel** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 6:41 pm

Well wasent Bradley in the league longer than Miller? Although i think that Miller was a more capable talent, his weight problems eventually made him unproductive and thus he didnt make in the league as long as he could have, so I take Bradley who was a capable player and good shot blocker.

hermes · Post #6 » by **hermes** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 10:09 pm

i'll take bradley
he's taller

Post #7 » by **TNBT** » Fri Feb 1, 2008 3:00 am

Miller had more talent and would have easily been better if he had kept himself in good shape. I'll take Bradley, however, as he had a longer career and was probably the better shot blocker of the two.

Post #8 » by **TrueLAfan** » Fri Feb 1, 2008 4:06 am

Yeah, but...

Shawn Bradley is one of those players who is much better on paper than he was on the court. He was one of the guys that Mark Cuban originally thought could make a real difference. But Shawn Bradley never really looked like he wanted to be playing basketball. He blocked shots, but he had miserable hands, didn't adjust well, didn't draw fouls, shot badly...he really didn't have any natural basketball instincts at all. He seemed like a guy who was forced into playing basketball because of his height, and never really got into it.

Oliver Miller had terrific basketball instincts. They just happened to be covered by a lot of fat. But here's the deal...Bradley blocked more shots than Miller did. But Miller shot better, scored more, fouled less, and got more steals. He got three times as many assists and had an assist/turnover ratio twice as good as Bradley. And Miller still was a good shot blocker. Bradley was tall. Miller was a player.

The kicker for me is simple...in 2004, when Minnesota was on its way to a 58 win season and had championship visions, they were looking for little pieces that would help them out. They went for Oliver Miller...who hadn't been in the league for four years. Fat, hadn't been in the league in years...they thought he could help in spot duty and they were right. Can you imagine a team right now--maybe Orlando--thinking, "Hmm, maybe Shawn Bradley can come in and give us that extra kick we need. Let's go get him!"

Point forward · Post #9 » by **Point forward** » Fri Feb 1, 2008 9:36 am

TrueLAfan wrote:Shawn Bradley is one of those players who is much better on paper than he was on the court. He was one of the guys that Mark Cuban originally thought could make a real difference. But Shawn Bradley never really looked like he wanted to be playing basketball. He blocked shots, but he had miserable hands, didn't adjust well, didn't draw fouls, shot badly...he really didn't have any natural basketball instincts at all. He seemed like a guy who was forced into playing basketball because of his height, and never really got into it.

Seconded. My hatchet vs Big Shawn is his German national team stint (yes, Bradley is a naturalised German). He seemed sluggish, uninterested and slow, and was unable to knock our C Patrick Femerling out of the starting 5. The only big thing about him was his insurance fee: remember, the guy earned $4m a year, so imagine the insurance. :nonono: