Miller is the 2nd best PG in the East

[IggyTheBEaST]

Is Andre Miller the best point guard in the Eastern Conference?

When the deal first went down, I thought the 76ers were ripped off when they traded away Allen Iverson.

Andre Miller is proving me dead wrong.

Miller himself was expected to do big things from the moment he entered the league. Selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers eighth overall, Miller had a very impressive rookie season where he was named to the All-Rookie first team. His improvement continued in his second year he led the Eastern Conference in assists per game and by his third, the entire league. Everything was pointing towards Andre 7000 being one of the league's best points for the next decade. Then things started to go bad. LA Clipper bad.

Yep, Miller got traded to a place where all good things NBA (Tim Thomas' comeback and Elton Brand's knee being two more recent examples) go to die, Clipperland. The Clip hailed him as a savior to their point guard problem but the season was a complete disaster. His shot abandoned him as his FG% dropped to a shade over forty percent. And it wasn't just his game that was being tarnished, but his reputation as a teammate as well. The Clipper environment was poisonous at that point. Namely, all the players hated each other. Despite a roster that had Elton Brand, Corey Maggette, Miller and Lamar Odom, the team only won 27 games.

The Denver Nuggets called with a contract offer that the Clip refused to match and Miller's game returned, although by then the novelty had worn off. He was no longer viewed as one of the leagues up and coming stars but rather as a former malcontent putting up decent, not great, numbers on a team clearly led by Carmelo Anthony. Despite the team's turnaround with him as the lead point, the media had forgotten about Andre Miller.

It seemed like the front office forgot about him too when he was traded along with a few picks for Allen Iverson. It was a risky move for the 76ers as Miller couldn't co-exist with a young rebuilding team in LA, what would be different in Philadelphia?

The difference is that Miller has matured a lot as a person and a player; he truly is the leader for this 76er team. He has good size at 6-2 and the bulk to bully his way into the lane past smaller point guards. His passing skills are superb and his decision making is crucial for this young and athletic team.

Meanwhile, Iverson's Denver squad seems a bit disappointing considering the team's talent. Both Iverson and Anthony's defining characteristic on the court is their ability to take over a game offensively. While it's a huge advantage to have two players capable of doing that, their skills are still a bit redundant.

Unlike Iverson, Miller has a team in front of him that compliments his skills perfectly.

Samuel Dalembert's improvement this year is a big story. His rebounding and block numbers are both up from last year while he has also cut back on his fouls. Maybe it was playing for the Canadian National team? While playing internationally it seemed like Big Sam realized what kind of effect a true big man can have on a team.

Thad Young and Reggie Evans are two solid options to have at the power forward spot. Evans is a energy player with a bit of a dirty streak in him. He's relentless on the boards and will pull down some of the most impressive rebound per 48 minute numbers in the league. However, his game is completely devoid of skill. Rookie Thad Young on the other hand is nearly the opposite player. He's young and athletic and has legitimate range on his jumper.

Andre Igoudala is one of those players whose skills could integrate into any team in the league. His athleticism is spellbinding, he creates for teammates and his defensive skills are among the best in the league at his position. His turnovers are high but that's because he's miscast as a team's primary scoring option. He's not a number one guy, but would be an amazing number two.

All of these players have a role that compliments Miller's game nicely. I still think Billups is still the best point guard in the Eastern Conference with Andre at a close second. Of course, Jose Calderon supporters would have something to say about that bronze medal...

[UptownPhilly]

Great Post. Miller>>>Calderon

Calderon wouldn't have quite the same impact on this team.

[SendEm]

2nd best PG in the east means little when when you take into consideration that there are like 25 better starting PG's in the west. I like Miller but I'd much rather have any one of those 25 better starting PG's out west. Brandon Roy included...

[STChaser]

Great post IggyTheBeast. I agree with most of what you've said. I also think that Lou Williams is a great compliment to Miller because Lou's speed compensates for Miller's defensive shortcomings against quicker guards. The only major issue I see with Miller is that he's a defensive liability against the quicker guards in this league - Paul, Green, Harris, etc.

STChaser

[93 Phillies]

Green?

[Sixercise]

He was no longer viewed as one of the leagues up and coming stars but rather as a former malcontent putting up decent, not great, numbers on a team clearly led by Carmelo Anthony. Despite the team's turnaround with him as the lead point, the media had forgotten about Andre Miller.

Just for the record, I've seen quite a few regular posters on the Nuggets board that were just close to worshipping Miller....and personally I wasn't too surprised about the impact he's had on this team. I mean, for him to lead the league in assists one year (even though it was on a bad team) is something worthy to note.


The main reason why I feel he's been under the radar for some time is because he kinda has a Kevin Ollie/Allan Houston demeanor; in other words, he's not one that likes to embrace the spotlight (not that he's shy, but he seems to have a no-nonsense & humble approach). The class he displays rubs off on to the young guys, and it shows in their improved play.


Shoot, just ask some of the fans on the Nuggets board, many of them will tell you that they miss Andre Miller, and I'm not so surprised why either.

[tk76]

Well written post. Good job.

[IggyTheBEaST]

While I appreciate all the praise, the honest person I am cannot accept it. While I agree with everything said, these are not my words, they are from Mathew Mccgredy

[tk76]

Link?

[SendEm]

I knew all along that Iggy didn't write it. Iggy is a #3 and it was OBVIOUS that a #1 had written it. lols

[IggyTheBEaST]

Haha, Sendem, If Im a #3, you dont even make the top 10

[The Guilty Party]

I knew all along that Iggy didn't write it. Iggy is a #3 and it was OBVIOUS that a #1 had written it. lols

LOL! Seriously though... links are good for this sort of thing or at least a mention in the initial post of the person who actually wrote it.

Thanks for posting... it's a good read.

[IggyTheBEaST]

Sorry Guilty, I thought it was "obvious" as sendem put it, add that to the fact that the article is on the REALGM Homepage...

[The Guilty Party]

Getting back on topic.... other than Billups there isn't another PG in the East that I would say is better than Miller.

Atlanta- Bibby
Boston- Rondo
Charlotte- Felton
Chicago- Hinrich
Cleveland- West
Detroit- Billups
Indiana- Tinsley
Miami- Jason Williams
Milwaukee- Mo Williams
New Jersey- Harris
New York- Marbury/Crawford
Orlando- Nelson
Toronto- Calderon
Washington- Arenas (injured)

If Arenas returns next season to being the player he was 2 years ago then I would bump Miller to third but that's then and a lot can change. Right now, Miller is the 2nd best PG.

[dond]

Getting back on topic.... other than Billups there isn't another PG in the East that I would say is better than Miller.

Atlanta- Bibby
Boston- Rondo
Charlotte- Felton
Chicago- Hinrich
Cleveland- West
Detroit- Billups
Indiana- Tinsley
Miami- Jason Williams
Milwaukee- Mo Williams
New Jersey- Harris
New York- Marbury/Crawford
Orlando- Nelson
Toronto- Calderon
Washington- Arenas (injured)

If Arenas returns next season to being the player he was 2 years ago then I would bump Miller to third but that's then and a lot can change. Right now, Miller is the 2nd best PG.

I, personally, would not trade Miller for Arenas ... straight up. I feel that a great point guard coordinates the team into a single unit and makes every other player better and gives them a sense that they are an important part of that team. I do not feel that Arenas does that.

The real value of a good point guard is seldom appreciated, by fans, until he is gone. You can ask the Denver fans about that. It can be argued that Denver was an up-and-coming franchise when they made the bold move to trade for Allen Iverson and had to give up Andre Miller in the deal. Some feel that all they accomplished was to get worse. They now have a more talented roster but a worse team. It is my opinion that they are missing that point guard who coordinates that talent.

[IggyTheBEaST]

dond, I dont think the nuggets got worse, I just dont think they made that significant of an upgrade, defense and coaching are their 2 biggest problems and a miller/a.i swap doesnt fix or improve that

[76erinSJ]

Theres 25 starting PG's in the West? Are there 25 teams in the west now?

[noone]

Pure PG, Miller>Arenas.

Overall player, Arenas>Miller and it isn't even close.

This season the Nuggets offensive rating (points per 100 possessions) is 110 while their defensive rating is 106.2. +3.8.

Miller's last full season in Denver: offensive: 105.5, defensive: 105.2. +0.3.

[ITK9]

2nd best PG in the east means little when when you take into consideration that there are like 25 better starting PG's in the west. I like Miller but I'd much rather have any one of those 25 better starting PG's out west. Brandon Roy included...

so you are now an andre miller hater too? seriously, why do you watch sixers?

i would only take cp3, nash, billups, derron and baron davis at this point over dre miller.

[carlos1223]

hahaha...typical Sendem. There are only like 15 teams in the west you moron