Could Andre Miller be our missing link?

[TheDude]

There are several rumors/reports going around that Andre Miller is pretty fed up in Losangeles because all the players are more worried about their contract and where they stand with the team. You think it's possible we land him in trade?

I think there would be a chance if we traded theo. That's because they know they're losing olowakandi this summer anyway so they'll need a replacement. We'll give them a second rounder also and fodder...

The man has skills.

[Guest]

He's good,but he isn't as good as he looked

in Cleveland.In fact,the reason he averaged

double figure assist was because of Lamound

Murray and Wesley Person.But he's not bad,

but he's not a top 5 PG either.

He wasn't doing that great before Odom returned

to the team so that isn't totally it.

[capstone21]

He is a top 5 pg. He is looking bad in LA because the team is all individuals. They have way too many ball handlers with Jaric and Dooling and since Lamar Odom has come back he wants to start the offence now. The clippers are a lot of talent but they can not play together. Everyone is playing for a contract so even though players look good their teamwork is suffering and so the team is losing.

Millers game is to have the ball and distubute it to others and get the team involved. He is not suppose to be running off screens and waiting for the pass.

He would excel in Atlanta. He could get the offence in flow and Big Dog, SAR and JT would benefit. I would love to get him here but I don't think it is going to happen.

[ATLien_]

The missing link imo is still Odom. I wanted Odom last year when his trade value was low, but people were running around talking about his serious Marijuana addiction.

I was never worried about that. If you are honest with yourself you would realize that a lot of NBA players do the same. If the goverment would get smart,legalize it, and tax it; maybe, we wouldn't have all this national debt. Debt would be paid off by unsuspecting pot heads. LOL.

I would have taken Odom over Big Dog 9 out of 10 times. The 1 time I would have been inticed into taking Big Dog by Nia Long. Sorry that was a dream. Odom is what we need. He does everything well and was at one time considered one of the better up and coming players. You remeber when Kenny used to call him "The Goods"? He is still "The Goods" he just with "The Bads" and "The Uglys". A Change of venue is need for Odom.

The only other option is to get a competent SG next to JT. I wouldn't mind trying to get Michael Dickerson if it wouldn't cost us to much. Maybe Hendu for Dickerson straight up? Dickerson and Mobley were a good combination for a while. Why not JT and Dickerson?

[Guest]

Andre Miller is not going to stop teams from doing

what Miami did to them.

[TheDude]

you are now my friend ATLien....

peter tosh "don't criticize it, just legalize it"

anyway.....

[Diesel]

Our goal is to outscore teams. Miller is the missing link. IF we could find a trade that produced Miller and even an average C for Theo... We'd do well.

The reason why Miller works for us is because he's a distributor who can score when he wants.

I would love to see:

Miller/JT/Grob/SAR/Nazr...

Playing as our starting 5 and us playing Zone defense. I think we'd be really hard to beat.

[KB21]

I wouldn't mind having Miller, but he's not in the Jason Kidd class of being a poor shooting point guard that can make average joes look great at times.

Miller is a very good point guard. He did very well dishing out 10 assists per game on a terrible Cleveland team last year, but he's not so much of an impact player that he would instantly make the Hawks a better team. The Hawks still wouldn't have a scorer they can go to in crunch time and have that scorer create his own shot.

Plus, Miller isn't worth the contract he will be asking for in the offseason. He wants a max deal, and he's not a max point guard yet.

[Diesel]

In reply to:

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Miller is a very good point guard. He did very well dishing out 10 assists per game on a terrible Cleveland team last year, but he's not so much of an impact player that he would instantly make the Hawks a better team.

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This is where we disagree. I believe he could. Here's why. Our Big Three are all capable of being 20 pg guys. That's without question. The problem has been PG play. We haven't had the PG play (playmaking) to catalyze our offensive firepower. I believe Miller is that Missing Link.

The real question is would I do that trade? Maybe not. Miller has an eye for Utah. If we could get a comitment from him then I would... However, paying Him and JT will be hard unless we bounce Theo and Hendu's salary.

Still... The point is that I believe he could ignite our offense. Look what he did with a terrible Cleveland team. Imagine what he could do here with our good Players.

[TheDude]

i agree diesel...i think the articles are right that i've read where everyone on the clippers is all about themselves and scoring for themselves to help out their contract year in the summer...he's more of an unselfish player...

i really think with him being a good citizen also and good person, he would enjoy working with our players much more...

[KB21]

Where I disagree is here. Getting Andre Miller takes the ball out of Terry's hands, and that's not a good thing.

Our problem hasn't been the play of our point guard. Jason Terry can do more at the position than most playing it currently. The problem is this desire to have a pure, pass first point guard and forcing Terry to be one.

Terry is a combo guard, but he's better with the ball than without the ball, IMO. He can make things happen by drawing attention to himself. He has shown that he can pile up assists in bunches, and he has shown that he can score in bunches as well. He's a mini Gary Payton without the post up game. But, like Payton, Terry needs to play both ways over the course of the game. Payton had Nate McMillan as an alternate ball handler in his early years. Terry has no one that fits with him.

Instead of getting Andre Miller, I'd rather attempt to make a move to get Reece Gaines in the draft and pair him with Terry in the back court. Or, make a deal for Jamal Crawford.

[Diesel]

In reply to:

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Terry is a combo guard, but he's better with the ball than without the ball, IMO. He can make things happen by drawing attention to himself.

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Here's my second point of disagreement. NOT that Terry is a combo gaurd. I think Terry is a SG plain and Simple. I haven't seen one sign from Terry that he can play pG. No court vision. No true understanding of what the play should be... etc. etc.

I heard Marberry say something that was totally true. He said that a PG is from God. He said that all the other positions you can work at and become but nobody can turn themselves into a PG. He's right. That's the failing of trying to make Terry a PG. He's not one. He's a ball handling 2 gaurd. If he was 6'5, nobody would say he's a PG.

However, the point of disagreement is that he has to have the ball in his hand. I disagree. Terry defers alot. Every since he was a rookie, his idea of being the point was getting the ball across the halfcourt line (if he could) and defer to some other player while he found his spot (true SG mentality). That's why Toni fit so well here. Toni could initiate the offense while Terry found his spots. That's why Miller would work so well here. Miller would get the play going make plays while Terry would find his spot. Terry would still get opportunity to take his man off the dribble and all that, however, when you see that taking place, it's usually in broken plays whereby we go one on one. My suggestion is that there will be times when we'd still have that option. But mainly, Terry becomes that set shooter he always wanted to be.