Sizing up Andre Miller: A difference-maker for Trail Blazers?

By Kerry Eggers

The Portland Tribune, Aug 1, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (7 Reader comments)

Andre Miller, the newest Trail Blazer, gets high marks for his ability to set up teammates and get to the basket. His outside shot is questionable, though, and his individual defensive abilities have slipped, according to some.

JESSE D. GABARRANT / GETTY IMAGES

Those who regularly watched Andre Miller play for the Philadelphia 76ers last season suggest the Trail Blazers have landed a difference-maker.

The veteran point guard, 33, Friday signed a three-year, $21-million free-agent contract, with Portland owning the option for the third year.

“Andre was terrific for us last year,” says Philadelphia assistant coach Jimmy Lynam, who served on the staffs of Jack Ramsay and Maurice Cheeks in Portland. “Maybe somebody would argue that he’s not as good or better than he ever was, but that’s the way I see it.”

“He wasn’t the best player on the Sixers last season, but the most important,” says Phil Jasner, the Hall-of-Fame beat writer with the Philadelphia Daily News. “There’s a distinction there.

“Portland has a young, talented team that won 54 games last year and has a chance to go further in the playoffs next year. Andre might wind up being the catalyst to that. The Blazers could profit from a dose of experience and high basketball IQ. He could be the right guy at the right time for the right team.”

Asked what he most likes about Miller’s game, Lynam responds, “What don’t I like? He’s as good as they come at running a game, and I’m talking about both ends of the court. He’s very good at directing things at the defensive end, to the point where I haven’t seen too many guys do it at (the NBA) level. He has a tremendous understanding of the game. ‘Coach on the floor’ is a term that gets overused, but it’s apropos in Andre’s case.”

Jasner says while Miller is a solid team defender, his defensive skills have slipped from his peak years.

“That was the concensus of the (Philadelphia) coaching staff and front office,” Jasner says. “When a point guard’s defense slips, he needs an eraser behind him. Portland has guys who can play the paint.”

“Does Andre have trouble keeping the Rajon Rondos and Tony Parkers in front of him? Maybe,” Lynam says. “But let’s be honest – that’s what those guys do for a living.”

Jasner compliments Miller on what he calls “excellent quarterback skills.”

“He has an ability to direct a team,” Jasner says. “He has a saying. He wants to be the quietest guy off the court but the loudest on it. Watch video of Sixers games the last couple of years. At timeouts, after the coach is through talking, you’ll see Andre gather the guys and point out a, b or c. His teammates respect the things he says on the court.

“He watches more video than any Sixer player since maybe Aaron McKie or Eric Snow (in the early 2000s). He really knows his basketball.”

Miller is a good scorer, getting many of his points at the foul line, where he is a career .802 shooter. His field-goal percentage is excellent – .473 last season, .460 career – because he takes the ball well to the basket. He is a lousy 3-point shooter – .283 last season, .210 career.

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