My theory is people compare him to Leonard, who Spurs traded him for. We are seeing DDR with a team built with him in mind. It just took 2 years to get there.
He's a good player and I would say this year a legit all-star. The thing about him that I have never liked is how he always chokes under pressure and his lack of control of emotions when he's frustrated. Currently though he's a good fit with this Spurs team since this team has no championship aspirations. His veteran presence is great for the young guys on this team.
It does seem like Demar has great chemistry with the current young guys on the team. His play making is enhanced by playing with the young guys.
He took a major paycut right after the 2014 championship when he got something like 3yr/$10 mil contract.
Not a paycut. He had a shoulder injury that kept him out for 7 months that summer. He missed half of the 2015 season and his percentages were way down. He had no leverage so he had to accept the best possible deal. From Patty himself that summer:
“I haven’t been through free-agency before, having this injury changes everything again,” Mills told Fairfax Media (via Sydney Morning Herald). “I have no idea how it works, but I’m guessing it will affect [my next deal]. But it’s out of my hands. It is what it is. We’ve got to make the most of the situation and move on.”
You can see his injured shoulder here:
Man I miss Baynes. And we really need him badly if Poeltl not hitting those free throws anytime soon.
At least Poeltl goes to the line occasionally. Baynes has shot 2 free throws in 16 games
I believe that Poeltl and Johnson also were a part of that deal. Sure so was DG but it wasn't straight up Leonard for Demar.
Many folks on here just like to continually and moan.
So I don't agree with this. For one, Mills didn't take a paycut. He almost literally made three times as much in 14-15 as he did in 13-14. He was the seventh-highest-played player on the 14-15 squad. I know the exploding cap made that seem cheap, but we're actually talking about the majority of the MLE (and indeed more than the tax-payer MLE) at the time. Danny Green, who was objectively better and more proven, was only making $200k more, and Kawhi was making about a million less.
Secondly, Mills wasn't really that good in the 2014 playoffs. He averaged seven points in the four series. He bumped up his scoring to 10ppg in the Finals, but we're still talking about a guy who played 15 minutes a game in that series. Dude earned his ring and was a good player, but it wasn't clear at the time that he was worth more than, say, Gary Neal. If he'd've gotten more than $11M/3, it would not have been by much.
The Spurs gave Mills a fair contract as if he weren't injured. I think doing that was their way of rewarding him for playing through his injury. He didn't take a pay-cut, and PATFO didn't leverage him into a cheap deal. He got legit financial security and a huge pay raise, and the Spurs finally found their back-up PG. It was a good deal for everyone.
That's who he is...he is over 30...this won't change...I always think he needs to be traded no matter how good he plays because he ensures mediocrity
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