Roy says Andre Miller should come off Bench

[PGDynasty24]

“I’ve sat back and thought about this, and talked about this with my friends,’’ Roy said. “Everyone thinks the sacrifice is going to have to come from me and LaMarcus. And yeah, it is.

“But an even bigger sacrifice is going to have to come from Andre and Joel,’’ Roy said. “Say Joel comes off the bench. Does he relax and say this is Greg’s team, that Greg is the future, just go ahead Greg? Or does he say I’m gonna push myself everyday to make sure Greg is great and to make sure that when I come in the game I’m even better?

“And does Andre say OK, I will come off the bench and make sure this is the best second lineup in the NBA? Or is he going to say, Steve is starting, I’m going to relax?’’

...

“But it only fits if they want it to fit,’’ Roy said. “They can make it a great second lineup. If that's the bench lineup, they can make it great. Andre has to make that sacrifice and say, ‘I'm going to make this my lineup. We're going to be ready every time. I don't care if the starters come out and get behind by 20, we're going to come out and put our mark on the game.’’’

I asked why he didn’t just tell that to his teammates.

And that’s when the next veteran move of Roy was revealed. He was already two steps ahead.

“We will meet as a team before the season starts – players only – and we will talk and I will express how I feel,’’ Roy said. “We have to have that mindset if we are going to be considered an elite team. And that’s something I have to express to the team. Because man, if we can do that … we will be a tough team. A really good team.

“But it has to be said.’’

http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2009/10/behind_the_blazers_locker_room_19.html

[Allanon]

Roy's gotta lead by example and let Rudy start and Roy come off the bench.

[Chieflion]

Roy's gotta lead by example and let Rudy start and Roy come off the bench.
That has to be one of the dumbest statements ever.

[JamStone]

That has to be one of the dumbest statements ever.

I think that was the point, since what Roy is saying is also pretty dumb.

Andre Miller is a better player than Steve Blake. And, it's not like he needs a lot of shot attempts (the reason guys like JR Smith and JasonTerry come off the bench). He's a passing point guard who will make the starting line-up better without needing to take a lot of shots. Miller should start. And, it's stupid for Roy to suggest it. If Andre Miller and Steve Blake were about the same, then that's one thing. But, it's not a question who is the better player. Otherwise, why not have Rudy start and Roy come off the bench? That would make the second unit even that much better.

[iggypop123]

is he really that fat that he cant win the job? miller is supposed to be superior to blake the only thing he has above him is 3 point shooting.

[Lars]

this is a non issue

[MaNu4Tres]

I think that was the point, since what Roy is saying is also pretty dumb.

Andre Miller is a better player than Steve Blake. And, it's not like he needs a lot of shot attempts (the reason guys like JR Smith and JasonTerry come off the bench). He's a passing point guard who will make the starting line-up better without needing to take a lot of shots. Miller should start. And, it's stupid for Roy to suggest it. If Andre Miller and Steve Blake were about the same, then that's one thing. But, it's not a question who is the better player. Otherwise, why not have Rudy start and Roy come off the bench? That would make the second unit even that much better.

Miller needs the ball to be effective, which stunts and hurts the game of Brandon Roy. If your going to be having Roy as the main playmaker, Blake's spot up shooting meshes with Roy and the first team better than Miller.

Roy is their franchise and is most effective handling the ball in pick and roll opportunities. Roy shouldn't comply with Miller's game. Miller should be the one complying with Roy's game. Therefore Miller to the bench with the second unit would be better with the Blazers.

Roy is right on this matter.

[DJB]

this is a non issue

[JamStone]

That's just boolah. The main reason the Blazers got Andre Miller in the first place was to free up Roy so he didn't have to have the ball in his hands all of the time, so he could play off the ball and be fresher towards the end of games and ultimately the end of the season. Now that they get Miller, they're not even going to maximize the reason they got him to help alleviate the pressure of Roy handling the ball and making all the decisions? It's nonsensical and works contrary to the whole point of getting Miller in the first place.

[MaNu4Tres]

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=132018&highlight=Andre+Miller+signs+Blazers

This issue was discussed in late July when Miller was signed. Read post #7, 17, 19 and so on.

[DJB]

Roy is making all the wrong comments at the right time.

[JamStone]

Why are you citing your previous opinions and opinions of other SpursTalk posters to try to support your argument now? So you saying that and having the same opinion a few weeks ago means it makes your opinion more accurate now? Ummm no.

[cobbler]

When did Roy become player coach? Did McMillan get fired?

[MaNu4Tres]

That's just boolah. The main reason the Blazers got Andre Miller in the first place was to free up Roy so he didn't have to have the ball in his hands all of the time, so he could play off the ball and be fresher towards the end of games and ultimately the end of the season. Now that they get Miller, they're not even going to maximize the reason they got him to help alleviate the pressure of Roy handling the ball and making all the decisions? It's nonsensical and works contrary to the whole point of getting Miller in the first place.

It's not boolah. If you watched the Blazers play you would understand that Roy and the Blazers are best when the ball in his Roy hands and when LaMarcus Aldridge sets his screens. Spurs along with the rest of the NBA had a lot of trouble with it. That's why when Miller was originally signed some people thought it was an overrated move because of the way their two games don't coincide with eachother.

If you take the ball out of Roy's hands and put it in Miller's instead it will be doing the opposition a huge favor.

Blazers best bet is to have Miller being the creator (the player with the ball) whenever Roy is not in the game. Therefore he'd be best coming off the bench. Just my opinion.

We can agree to disagree.

[Morg1411]

this is a non issue

[JamStone]

It's not boolah. If you watched the Blazers play you would understand that Roy and the Blazers are best when the ball in his Roy hands and when LaMarcus Aldridge sets his screens. Spurs along with the rest of the NBA had a lot of trouble with it. That's why when Miller was originally signed some people thought it was an overrated move because of the way their two games don't coincide with eachother.

If you take the ball out of Roy's hands and put it in Miller's instead it will be doing the opposition a huge favor.

Miller is best being the creator and being the player with the ball, whenever Roy is not in the game. Therefore he'd be best coming off the bench.

It's boolah.

They want Roy fresh at the end of games and at the end of the season. Getting Miller helps alleviate the pressure of Roy handling the basketball all of the time. Why get Miller if he's not going to be used in that capacity? It's counter-productive to the reason they got Miller in the first place.

[MaNu4Tres]

It's boolah.

They want Roy fresh at the end of games and at the end of the season. Getting Miller helps alleviate the pressure of Roy handling the basketball all of the time. Why get Miller if he's not going to be used in that capacity? It's counter-productive to the reason they got Miller in the first place.

No its not boolah obviously by their franchise making the request. He is not seeing the touches he's used to getting or being put in situations where he's best whenever Miller is on the court with him. You can bring Miller off the bench and be the main creator when Roy goes to the pine. That would make the Blazers better already.

Roy and the Blazers last priority is to worry about the freshness of Roy. He's not 38 years old and has been injury free throughout his career. Miller will alleviate some of the ball handling duties, but that should be exploited more so when Roy is not on the floor.

[MaNu4Tres]

So, you're basically saying play Miller 12 minutes.

No what I'm saying is you put Miller as the main creator at all times whenever Roy is not on the floor. And Roy should be the main creator whenever he is on the floor. Of course it's not going to happen every possesion with Aldridge in the post. But if your going to start your plays with the pick and roll Roy is the best option Blazers have. Miller's inability to spread the floor with his non-shooting ability simply doesn't comply with it.

I'd say Miller plays with Roy 12-16 minutes out of the 34-38 minutes Roy plays. Giving Miller around 24-28 mpg.

That wasn't the point I was making either. My point was and is that Miller's game doesn't coincide with Roy's. Simply put.

[angelbelow]

lmao.. roy...

[Fpoonsie]

What's "boolah"?

[badfish22]

this is a non issue

[TDMVPDPOY]

roy should stfu and know ur role jabroni

[Killakobe81]

That's just boolah. The main reason the Blazers got Andre Miller in the first place was to free up Roy so he didn't have to have the ball in his hands all of the time, so he could play off the ball and be fresher towards the end of games and ultimately the end of the season. Now that they get Miller, they're not even going to maximize the reason they got him to help alleviate the pressure of Roy handling the ball and making all the decisions? It's nonsensical and works contrary to the whole point of getting Miller in the first place.

I agree with Jamstone for 3 reasons.
1. Who says you cant have two playmakers in the same starting lineup? Manu and Tony are prime examples PLUS Miller is not a shot happy PG like Parker.
2. Miller IS the better player ...aand though he may limit some of the opportunities Roy could actually become a MUCH better player if he learns to play WITHOUT the ball
3. Oden will benefit from a penetrating PG ...as long as they play shooters at the 2 and 3 to prevent the lane from being clogged ...

[Killakobe81]

No its not boolah obviously by their franchise making the request. He is not seeing the touches he's used to getting or being put in situations where he's best whenever Miller is on the court with him. You can bring Miller off the bench and be the main creator when Roy goes to the pine. That would make the Blazers better already.

Roy and the Blazers last priority is to worry about the freshness of Roy. He's not 38 years old and has been injury free throughout his career. Miller will alleviate some of the ball handling duties, but that should be exploited more so when Roy is not on the floor.

Roy had a knee inury on college and still suffers from tendinitis ...

[Darthkiller]

what roy wants, roy gets it. Miller will come off bench.

[TJastal]

Holy colossal ego's batman.

Somebody needs to tell Brandon Roy the season hasn't even begun yet, and let the damn coach make the decisions. If it ain't working 10 games in yah, then bitch and complain for a change. Give Miller a chance at least.

That was a great take btw Allanon. That would be hilarious seeing McMillan drop Roy into the 2nd unit (even though it would never happen) :lol

[ginobili's bald spot]

Sounds like trouble in paradise tlong. The season hasn't even started yet and already there are too many ego's in Portland. These losers haven't ever won shit and they're already acting like Divas. LOL first round exit.

[MaNu4Tres]

And Simmons comes to the rescue:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmonsnflpicks/part1/091023&sportCat=nba

21. Andre Miller
We knew Miller was a bad fit when the Blazers signed him. It just didn't feel right. He's a moody loner; they had great chemistry last season. He needs the ball in his hands; so does Brandon Roy. He likes freelancing; Nate McMillan is hands on. But Portland felt obligated to spend its extra cap money, and nobody else was pursuing Miller, so what transpired was the equivalent of two single wedding guests going through the motions on the dance floor.



I could use someone, and you could use someone. Unfortunately, I hate bald guys and I have a tiny butt; you're bald and you love bubble butts. We have no spark and are destined to fail. But crap, there's nobody better. Screw it, would you like to come back to my room?



I get Portland's thinking: It wanted to turn that cap space into an asset. And I get Miller's thinking: He wanted to get paid and hoped things would work out. But now we're here. Incredibly, Portland plans on bringing Miller off the bench. He's already miserable. (And available, by the way. Make Kevin Pritchard an offer. Seriously, call him right now.) So what did we learn? Just because you have cap space doesn't mean you HAVE to use it.



The bigger issue …

[Culburn369]

And Simmons comes to the rescue:
21. Andre Miller
We knew Miller was a bad fit when the Blazers signed him. It just didn't feel right.

Simmons/"we" shoulda said so at the time. But, he was still takin' turns denyin'/recoverin' from Kobe goin'/sans Daddy.

tee, hee.

[ulosturedge]

So I take it Andre Miller is instant trade bait already? Would there be any suitors out there? Maybe later in the season.

[Culburn369]

Blake is a really, really underrated player... and an even more underrated defender. Very smart player. He should start.

If I were a Blazers fan I'd be outraged.

[JamStone]

Whether Andre Miller was a bad fit or the wrong guy to add to the Blazers is a different issue altogether.

The fact is they signed him, so now that he's on the team, they have to use him. They have to start him. It doesn't make sense for him to come off the bench.

By asking Miller to sacrifice, Roy is actually acting selfishly. He doesn't want to give up handling the basketball or facilitating the offense. A team leader doesn't tell what other players should do or who should play or what minutes they should get. That's up to the coaching staff. A leader doesn't worry about those things. Let McMillan worry about who starts and who comes off the bench. What Roy is doing is actually creating animosity, creating tension in the locker room. If McMillan wants Andre Miller to come off the bench, then he'll make that decision. Why should Roy say shit? Especially to a veteran guy who's been in the league for a long time, is older than Roy, and has run teams as the point guard before. That's just poor leadership to me. It'd be one thing if it were someone like Duncan approaching Jason Kidd if they were on the same team. But, why does Roy act like he's a perennial all NBA guy who can tell teammates what to do?

[BacktoBasics]

I think that was the point, since what Roy is saying is also pretty dumb.

Andre Miller is a better player than Steve Blake. And, it's not like he needs a lot of shot attempts (the reason guys like JR Smith and JasonTerry come off the bench). He's a passing point guard who will make the starting line-up better without needing to take a lot of shots. Miller should start. And, it's stupid for Roy to suggest it. If Andre Miller and Steve Blake were about the same, then that's one thing. But, it's not a question who is the better player. Otherwise, why not have Rudy start and Roy come off the bench? That would make the second unit even that much better.Roy is the primary ball handler. By that alone Blake is the better fit next to him. Andre isn't a great jump shooter either and with his handles he's better off being surrounded by guys who can shoot like Fernandez and Webster.

[JamStone]

I already said this, but a main reason the Blazers got Miller was to alleviate the pressure on Roy of always having to handle the basketball. If they signed Andre Miller, then it doesn't make sense for them not to use him in that way. That's the reason they got him.

And, some of you really are harping on this jump shooting thing way too much. Who's the better player? It's Miller. It's not like Andre Miller can't score just because he's not a good jump shooter. He can still create shot opportunities for himself.

Should Eddie House start over Rajon Rondo since the the Celtics can run the offense through Pierce or KG? Should Jason Terry start over Jason Kidd since the Mavs can run their offense through Dirk and/or Josh Howard?

No, especially at the point guard position, you start the better player. Andre Miller is the better point guard.

[DPG21920]

Why are people acting like Portland signed Miller and did so forgetting that "Roy is the primary ball-handler"?

They knew that when they signed Miller and they signed him for a reason, such as Jam has stated.

[diego]

I asked why he didn’t just tell that to his teammates.

And that’s when the next veteran move of Roy was revealed. He was already two steps ahead.

“We will meet as a team before the season starts – players only – and we will talk and I will express how I feel,’’ Roy said. “We have to have that mindset if we are going to be considered an elite team. And that’s something I have to express to the team. Because man, if we can do that … we will be a tough team. A really good team.

“But it has to be said.’’

---

then why say it to the press beforehand? to piss everyone off?

i dont follow the blazers enough to agree/disagree over who should start. but i agree with jamstone that the coach should make these decisions, and would like to add that if Roy felt that way he should have told his teammates before announcing to the press that he was going to tell his teammates so and so has to sacrifice.

[EmptyMan]

this is a non issue

[DeadlyDynasty]

So I take it Andre Miller is instant trade bait already? Would there be any suitors out there? Maybe later in the season.

I'd love him on my team..PG is the only position we're weak at.

[tlongII]

Miller isn't going anywhere. He will be fine coming off the bench. Just wait and see. It means our 2nd unit is better than most team's starters. We are going to crush the league. Especially the Lakers.

[WildcardManu]

Miller isn't going anywhere. He will be fine coming off the bench. Just wait and see. It means our 2nd unit is better than most team's starters. We are going to crush the league. Especially the Lakers.

:lol

[Morg1411]

Miller isn't going anywhere. He will be fine coming off the bench. Just wait and see. It means our 2nd unit is better than most team's starters. We are going to crush the league. Especially the Lakers.

Playing Miller off the bench is testament to how clueless McMillan & company really are.

All summer long the Blazers FO was ignored, countered and rejected by every free agent they chased. They land Miller, a badass scoring PG, and then don't know how to use him.

It's been said before, but it bears repeating: LOL Blazers.

[lil_penny]

I don't know what to think anymore.... I feel like a suns fan right about now.

[wijayas]

That has to be one of the dumbest statements ever.

Or the seriously funniest one....:toast

[Allanon]

That has to be one of the dumbest statements ever.

You're finally gettin' it, kimo sabi.