tlongII
07-27-2009, 12:11 AM
http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2009/07/blazers_notebook_miller_was_mc.html
http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2009/07/large_mcmil-miller.jpg
"You end up liking players who beat you,'' said Blazers coach Nate McMillan (right), who was 1-8 against Andre Miller teams since coming to Portland.
Making McMillan happy
As everybody knows, Andre Miller was not the Blazers first choice in the free agent market. But from Day 1 of the offseason, he was the No. 1 choice of coach Nate McMillan.
"Our coach is very happy,'' general manager Kevin Pritchard said.
McMillan said he felt an instant connection with the free agent point guard.
"I felt like I kind of knew him already,'' McMillan said. "Because in a sense, we were similar as players, as far as not being great scorers or shooters, but we made our teams better because of our feel for the game and our I.Q.''
Miller's savvy and basketball IQ are what sold the Blazers on giving him the keys to one of the most efficient offenses in the NBA. It's not that the Blazers were lacking intelligence from starter Steve Blake - Blake is always among the NBA's leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio. But now, the Blazers imagine they will have one of the headiest point guard tandems in the league.
"We wanted to raise our I.Q., and we do with this,'' McMillan said. "He just has a feel for the game. He will be a guy who will know the sets, put players in their spots.''
That's not to say that McMillan is, or was, unhappy with Blake. In fact, throughout the whole free agent process with Miller, I had several conversations with Andy Miller, Andre's agent. The agent marveled at how much the Blazers organization valued Blake.
Although it is true the Blazers explored trades this summer - the latest a sign-and-trade with David Lee and New York - they never pulled the trigger. Sometimes, as in the case of New York, it was the other team turning away. But most times, it was the Blazers rejecting the deal. It's why I believe Pritchard and McMillan when they say they want to keep last year's roster intact as much as possible. They have been saying it since last February when Pritchard went against his instincts and held firm at the trading deadline.
For how much people like to talk about Pritchard being a wheeler-and-dealer, he has probably sat on his hands more than he has pulled the trigger, and a big reason is because he admits he has become emotionally attached to the core of this team. He believes in the players he has brought here.
"The thing is, with every trade you have to send out a player,'' Pritchard said. "We wanted to keep this 54-win team together and add to it. And with Andre, we have added experience.''
For McMillan, who has pleaded for experience since he arrived in Portland four summers ago, the Miller signing was made even better because it didn't involve sign-and-trade scenarios that were discussed with New York.
"The big thing is that we were able to raise our basketball IQ without giving up guys,'' McMillan said. "It's almost like we got Miller for Sergio (Rodriguez). And now, this is an opportunity for Bayless to be tutored by (Miller).''
Being patient with Bayless
There are factions of fans clamoring that this move signals the end of Bayless in Portland. A trade, many figure, has to be made because Bayless will be unhappy being third string.
Last I checked, the NBA is not about feelings. It's about winning.
If Bayless is good enough, he will get on the court. If he isn't, he will sit and learn.
I always remember what Scottie Pippen once told me. The players, he said, are the first to know who should be on the court. When they are out there practicing, and scrimmaging - having to guard players, or box them out, or trying to score against them - the players know before the coaches and management who can do what.
It's one reason why we heard Brandon Roy last fall endorse Nicolas Batum as a starter long before many had even learned to pronounce Nic's last name. After practicing with and against Batum, Roy could tell the kid deserved to be on the court.
Bayless will know soon enough whether he deserves to be out there.
And from where did this notion come that Bayless has to play immediately? There are a million examples out there of players needing time to become a rotation player ... Steve Nash, Gerald Wallace, Travis Outlaw ... and I don't know why Bayless has to suddenly be accommodated.
Plus, as those who have taken the time to get to know Bayless, or even be around him, they can attest that the kid won't be a distraction if he doesn't play. He's just not like that. He repeatedly told me last season that he has been on a team with an unhappy player before. The player became a cancer.
"I will never be like that,'' Bayless said. "I know how it can affect a team.''
Does he want to play? Absolutely. Just as badly as anyone. But while he doesn't lack in confidence, he isn't an out-of-control egomaniac.
He will know whether he deserves to be out there. Last season, I think some of his frustration was that he felt at least equal to Sergio Rodriguez who mostly played ahead of him. When Bayless did get his shot to overtake Sergio, he didn't capitalize. But he was angry at himself, not McMillan, not Sergio, not management.
And let's not forget, Bayless is entering his SECOND season. And in August he will turn 21. Twenty-one. There is plenty of time for the Blazers to reap the benefits of their lottery pick.
In the meantime, if Bayless is indeed to become a point guard, what better veterans to learn from than Miller and Blake? They are two pass-first players who put the team's success before their own statistics.
I have found it funny during the evolution of the Blazers from rebuilding project to playoff team at how suddenly the team's stable of talent is a problem.
This is the mark of a good team, people. It's a major reason, in fact, why the Blazers won 54 games last season. This was a team that saw Blake, Greg Oden and Martell Webster go down for long stretches. Yet, none of them were seriously missed because of the Blazers' depth.
There are other players just like Bayless who are in the same boat. One guy who comes to mind is George Hill in San Antonio. From all accounts, Hill can play, and could probably start for a lot of NBA teams. But he is a bit player on a good team. It happens. Louis Williams in Philadelphia went through the same thing in his first two seasons and now, entering his fifth season, will get a chance to start. It takes time with young players, especially ones like Bayless and Williams who come into the league at such an early age.
Also, keep in mind that since the Blazers roster is so young, often times their salaries don't adequately reflect their talents. Travis Outlaw, for all his flaws, is a very, very, good player for $3.6 million. Show me another player at $3.6 million you could trade for Outlaw. Rudy Fernandez is set to make $1.1 million next season. Even Blake at $4 million is a bargain. In the NBA's system where you have to match salaries, it's difficult for the Blazers right now to get fair value in return.
Eventually, San Antonio will have to make a decision on Hill. And the Blazers will have to make one on Bayless, perhaps as early as next summer, when Blake's contract expires. Will Bayless be ready to inherit Blake's role? We'll see.
But what's the rush? Worrying about Bayless' feelings? Please.
You certainly don't give up on the kid after one season, and if you are talking about trading him, what do you envision getting in return considering he is on a rookie salary? You don't just throw away a lottery pick. You develop them.
If you can't beat 'em, sign 'em
One of the reasons McMillan was intent on pursuing Miller was because the point guard had made an impression on him over the last four years.
"When you play against players, you end up liking players who beat you,'' McMillan said.
Miller was 8-1 against the Blazers since McMillan came to Portland, with averages of 15.4 points, 6.9 assists, 4.4 rebounds while making 48.3 percent of his shots (56 of 116).
"And he had a huge impact in those games,'' McMillan said. "So it was interesting during our dinner to hear him dissect our team.''
The last game Miller played against the Blazers really stuck in McMillan's mind. Miller had 27 points, 10 rebounds and 3 assists in leading Phildelphia to a 114-108 win at the Rose Garden. He was a dagger in that game, putting the 76ers in front for good in overtime by rebounding his own miss and banking it in.
Odds and ends
The Blazers are awaiting word from the NBA on whether they can enter the season with a potential $2.6 million in cap space. Even though the Blazers exhausted all of their $7.7 million cap space by signing Miller and (eventually) second-round picks Jeff Pendergraph and Dante Cunningham, they could gain $2.6 million in space when the season begins. That's when the cap-holds for Petteri Koponen, Joel Freeland and Victor Claver are eligible to come off the books ... There has been talk internally about hiring former Blazers forward Brian Grant as an assistant coach if Maurice Lucas is unable to return. Lucas missed a majority of last season with pneumonia and surgery for bladder cancer. McMillan said he will let Lucas decide if he wants to return. Grant, meanwhile, has spent some of the summer working out with Oden... By the way, think Blake is working out right now? For a guy whose workouts border on maniacal as it is, I can only imagine how much Blake has stepped up his workout intensity since the Miller signing ... The guess here is that Miller will wear No. 24 - a number he wore with Cleveland, the Clippers and Denver. Miller sported No. 7 in Philadelphia, but Roy wears 7 in Portland. However, Roy has said before that he would really like to wear No. 3 - his college number. When Roy arrived in Portland, veteran Juan Dixon wore No. 3, forcing Roy to go with No. 7. The last player to wear No. 24 for the Blazers was Von Wafer.
http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2009/07/large_mcmil-miller.jpg
"You end up liking players who beat you,'' said Blazers coach Nate McMillan (right), who was 1-8 against Andre Miller teams since coming to Portland.
Making McMillan happy
As everybody knows, Andre Miller was not the Blazers first choice in the free agent market. But from Day 1 of the offseason, he was the No. 1 choice of coach Nate McMillan.
"Our coach is very happy,'' general manager Kevin Pritchard said.
McMillan said he felt an instant connection with the free agent point guard.
"I felt like I kind of knew him already,'' McMillan said. "Because in a sense, we were similar as players, as far as not being great scorers or shooters, but we made our teams better because of our feel for the game and our I.Q.''
Miller's savvy and basketball IQ are what sold the Blazers on giving him the keys to one of the most efficient offenses in the NBA. It's not that the Blazers were lacking intelligence from starter Steve Blake - Blake is always among the NBA's leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio. But now, the Blazers imagine they will have one of the headiest point guard tandems in the league.
"We wanted to raise our I.Q., and we do with this,'' McMillan said. "He just has a feel for the game. He will be a guy who will know the sets, put players in their spots.''
That's not to say that McMillan is, or was, unhappy with Blake. In fact, throughout the whole free agent process with Miller, I had several conversations with Andy Miller, Andre's agent. The agent marveled at how much the Blazers organization valued Blake.
Although it is true the Blazers explored trades this summer - the latest a sign-and-trade with David Lee and New York - they never pulled the trigger. Sometimes, as in the case of New York, it was the other team turning away. But most times, it was the Blazers rejecting the deal. It's why I believe Pritchard and McMillan when they say they want to keep last year's roster intact as much as possible. They have been saying it since last February when Pritchard went against his instincts and held firm at the trading deadline.
For how much people like to talk about Pritchard being a wheeler-and-dealer, he has probably sat on his hands more than he has pulled the trigger, and a big reason is because he admits he has become emotionally attached to the core of this team. He believes in the players he has brought here.
"The thing is, with every trade you have to send out a player,'' Pritchard said. "We wanted to keep this 54-win team together and add to it. And with Andre, we have added experience.''
For McMillan, who has pleaded for experience since he arrived in Portland four summers ago, the Miller signing was made even better because it didn't involve sign-and-trade scenarios that were discussed with New York.
"The big thing is that we were able to raise our basketball IQ without giving up guys,'' McMillan said. "It's almost like we got Miller for Sergio (Rodriguez). And now, this is an opportunity for Bayless to be tutored by (Miller).''
Being patient with Bayless
There are factions of fans clamoring that this move signals the end of Bayless in Portland. A trade, many figure, has to be made because Bayless will be unhappy being third string.
Last I checked, the NBA is not about feelings. It's about winning.
If Bayless is good enough, he will get on the court. If he isn't, he will sit and learn.
I always remember what Scottie Pippen once told me. The players, he said, are the first to know who should be on the court. When they are out there practicing, and scrimmaging - having to guard players, or box them out, or trying to score against them - the players know before the coaches and management who can do what.
It's one reason why we heard Brandon Roy last fall endorse Nicolas Batum as a starter long before many had even learned to pronounce Nic's last name. After practicing with and against Batum, Roy could tell the kid deserved to be on the court.
Bayless will know soon enough whether he deserves to be out there.
And from where did this notion come that Bayless has to play immediately? There are a million examples out there of players needing time to become a rotation player ... Steve Nash, Gerald Wallace, Travis Outlaw ... and I don't know why Bayless has to suddenly be accommodated.
Plus, as those who have taken the time to get to know Bayless, or even be around him, they can attest that the kid won't be a distraction if he doesn't play. He's just not like that. He repeatedly told me last season that he has been on a team with an unhappy player before. The player became a cancer.
"I will never be like that,'' Bayless said. "I know how it can affect a team.''
Does he want to play? Absolutely. Just as badly as anyone. But while he doesn't lack in confidence, he isn't an out-of-control egomaniac.
He will know whether he deserves to be out there. Last season, I think some of his frustration was that he felt at least equal to Sergio Rodriguez who mostly played ahead of him. When Bayless did get his shot to overtake Sergio, he didn't capitalize. But he was angry at himself, not McMillan, not Sergio, not management.
And let's not forget, Bayless is entering his SECOND season. And in August he will turn 21. Twenty-one. There is plenty of time for the Blazers to reap the benefits of their lottery pick.
In the meantime, if Bayless is indeed to become a point guard, what better veterans to learn from than Miller and Blake? They are two pass-first players who put the team's success before their own statistics.
I have found it funny during the evolution of the Blazers from rebuilding project to playoff team at how suddenly the team's stable of talent is a problem.
This is the mark of a good team, people. It's a major reason, in fact, why the Blazers won 54 games last season. This was a team that saw Blake, Greg Oden and Martell Webster go down for long stretches. Yet, none of them were seriously missed because of the Blazers' depth.
There are other players just like Bayless who are in the same boat. One guy who comes to mind is George Hill in San Antonio. From all accounts, Hill can play, and could probably start for a lot of NBA teams. But he is a bit player on a good team. It happens. Louis Williams in Philadelphia went through the same thing in his first two seasons and now, entering his fifth season, will get a chance to start. It takes time with young players, especially ones like Bayless and Williams who come into the league at such an early age.
Also, keep in mind that since the Blazers roster is so young, often times their salaries don't adequately reflect their talents. Travis Outlaw, for all his flaws, is a very, very, good player for $3.6 million. Show me another player at $3.6 million you could trade for Outlaw. Rudy Fernandez is set to make $1.1 million next season. Even Blake at $4 million is a bargain. In the NBA's system where you have to match salaries, it's difficult for the Blazers right now to get fair value in return.
Eventually, San Antonio will have to make a decision on Hill. And the Blazers will have to make one on Bayless, perhaps as early as next summer, when Blake's contract expires. Will Bayless be ready to inherit Blake's role? We'll see.
But what's the rush? Worrying about Bayless' feelings? Please.
You certainly don't give up on the kid after one season, and if you are talking about trading him, what do you envision getting in return considering he is on a rookie salary? You don't just throw away a lottery pick. You develop them.
If you can't beat 'em, sign 'em
One of the reasons McMillan was intent on pursuing Miller was because the point guard had made an impression on him over the last four years.
"When you play against players, you end up liking players who beat you,'' McMillan said.
Miller was 8-1 against the Blazers since McMillan came to Portland, with averages of 15.4 points, 6.9 assists, 4.4 rebounds while making 48.3 percent of his shots (56 of 116).
"And he had a huge impact in those games,'' McMillan said. "So it was interesting during our dinner to hear him dissect our team.''
The last game Miller played against the Blazers really stuck in McMillan's mind. Miller had 27 points, 10 rebounds and 3 assists in leading Phildelphia to a 114-108 win at the Rose Garden. He was a dagger in that game, putting the 76ers in front for good in overtime by rebounding his own miss and banking it in.
Odds and ends
The Blazers are awaiting word from the NBA on whether they can enter the season with a potential $2.6 million in cap space. Even though the Blazers exhausted all of their $7.7 million cap space by signing Miller and (eventually) second-round picks Jeff Pendergraph and Dante Cunningham, they could gain $2.6 million in space when the season begins. That's when the cap-holds for Petteri Koponen, Joel Freeland and Victor Claver are eligible to come off the books ... There has been talk internally about hiring former Blazers forward Brian Grant as an assistant coach if Maurice Lucas is unable to return. Lucas missed a majority of last season with pneumonia and surgery for bladder cancer. McMillan said he will let Lucas decide if he wants to return. Grant, meanwhile, has spent some of the summer working out with Oden... By the way, think Blake is working out right now? For a guy whose workouts border on maniacal as it is, I can only imagine how much Blake has stepped up his workout intensity since the Miller signing ... The guess here is that Miller will wear No. 24 - a number he wore with Cleveland, the Clippers and Denver. Miller sported No. 7 in Philadelphia, but Roy wears 7 in Portland. However, Roy has said before that he would really like to wear No. 3 - his college number. When Roy arrived in Portland, veteran Juan Dixon wore No. 3, forcing Roy to go with No. 7. The last player to wear No. 24 for the Blazers was Von Wafer.