JonFromVA wrote:I was pondering if Russell Westbrook had ever learned to run a team (not just fill the box score) that his career would be aging a lot better ... ala Andre Miller. Miller wasn't doing anything flashy at 33 and would eventually transition to a bench role, but because like Rubio he knew how to run a team and wasn't afraid to play defense - he generally sustained a positive impact.
As for Ricky, he too may be able to extend his career even after this latest injury and having started playing pro ball so young. The key is that he's already accepting coming off the bench.
But back to Andre, it got me wondering what he was up to and I found this article about Andre and his early days with the Cavs I hadn't read before:
https://www.nba.com/cavaliers/features/wherearethey-miller-201210
He admits he didn't really want to leave the Cavs and wasn't as concerned about money as the reports at the time made it out, he was just following the advice of his agent rather than his heart. Seems he has some regrets about that, especially about not being around to play with LeBron.
Albeit ... if Andre stayed there's a fair chance we win more than 19 games ...
Mobley is why I'm okay with Drummond flaking out last season.
As far as Westbrook, I don't know if it was ever possible for him to learn to play at different speeds, but it's certainly late in the game now. Whether it's AI, Wall, Westbrook, etc. guards who rely primarily on elite speed to beat their defenders to spots usually don't want to give that up, and it's not clear that if they did, they'd still be good players. Slowing down doesn't guarantee you good court vision, it only guarantees you better court vision. If you sacrifice your biggest advantage while doing so, whether that works out better for you, or the offense as a whole, is uncertain.
Andre was never that player even while younger. It's why I'm okay with the Cavs trading Sexton for whatever they can get. Maybe he can learn to play in second gear when necessary, but I'm skeptical and it's going to be a really bumpy ride over an uncertain time horizon just trying to get there.