Written by DemoRoy
When a couple first meets, it is rarely love at first sight. There is normally a courting process; which may include talking on the phone or going out for a movie. This process is mainly for the individuals to get to know each other to see if they want to go forward with the relationship. Obviously to get to this point, there is some sort of attraction. The attraction the Portland Trailblazers had in Andre Miller was his savvy on court play, knowledge of the game and his ability to make other players better. It was no secret that the Blazers went after other marquee players such as Hedo Turkoglu, Jason Kidd, Steve Nash and Paul Milsap. Hedo decided to go to Toronto. Kidd, Nash and Milsap decided to stay with their respective teams.
So that left he Blazers with the choice of staying with the same team or going after Andre Miller. Miller is the complete opposite of Blake, last year’s starting point guard. He also draws similar comparisons to team star Brandon Roy. Miller doesn’t shoot the three point shot very well yet he is a gifted passer, good in the post and a relentless penetrating point guard. He and Roy like the ball in their hands.
After a date in Las Vegas, the Blazer’s signed Miller to a three year 21 million dollar deal. There was a lot of optimism about this move. Not just by fans, but as practice started, Brandon Roy told the Oregonian that he felt he was more comfortable playing with last year’s starter Steve Blake. This carried over into the preseason and even the regular season as Steve Blake was naed the starting point guard for the 2009-2010 season.
The Blazers struggled to a 2-3 start. Roy was averaging 25 points a game but there was no flow to the offense. Either Roy or LaMarcus was doing a bulk of the scoring. Blazers head coach Nate McMillan decided to start Miller for the next game against the San Antonio Spurs. The Blazers won convincingly 96-84. Miller had ten points, four assists and two steals. More importantly Miller ran the show. He called all the plays resulting with ten players scoring that night. For players scored in double digits and another with nine points. The offense ran like a well oiled machine. The Blazers are currently on a six game winning streak ending in a lead of 12 points or more.
The move to start Miller obviously caused Brandon Roy to adjust his game yet it could prolong his career. He doesn’t have to work as hard for his shots by taking a beating every night. Roy will add another weapon to his arsenal by playing off the ball. It also helps to keep the Blazers from being so predictable. Teams were just doubling Roy to get the ball out of his hands. He would pass on almost every possession while fighting the shot clock.
It’s clear that no relationship goes without bumps in the road. Miller and the Blazers have had a few bumps already but they realize now that they both need each other. Miller throughout his career has been searching for a team to display his skills to the world. He is by many experts considered an underrated point guard. This is mainly because he has played on good teams but never an elite team. Portland was not an elite team before Miller got here. Last year’s first found exit in the playoffs exposed two major weaknesses for the Blazers. Their point guard position and their lack of toughness. Miller brings both. He also has proven to make players around him better. Greg Oden has been a major improvement this year as Miller starts out most games getting him started.
The future is not set for Miller or he Blazers but the signs over the past week have shown this new relationship has taken a turn for the better. The Blazers are playing with great confidence. This could possibly be the best move of the off season and possible match made in heaven. With the improvement of the current roster, Oden’s off season work out, return of Martell Webster and the addition of Miller, the Blazers could be a major force in the western conference this year. I’m sure Miller is aware that Portland went after Kidd and Nash before considering him. This is his chance to prove that he at least deserved an invite at the same time they did.
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