Nice Article On Future Celtics Point Guard Andre Miller

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com>]

Well, if they get the fourth pick in the draft from the Clippers...



            Point guard Miller is a can-miss prospect 

            Jorge L. Ortiz
            OF THE EXAMINER STAFF  May 27, 1999 
            <snip>



            But his intangibles may tempt Warriors
            OAKLAND - It would seem like a union made in hoops hell - the 
            Warriors, one of the NBA's worst shooting teams from any distance, 
            and the University of Utah's Andre Miller, hardly a marksman 
            himself. 
            Miller's jumper is so erratic, he joked that the Warriors "probably 
            expected me to come in and miss everything" when he worked out for 
            them on Wednesday. 
            Who could blame them? The 6-foot-2 point guard shot an abysmal 26.5 
            percent from 3-point range his senior year in college, where the 
            line is up to 4 feet closer than in the NBA. 
            Then again, that figure is not much worse than the 33.3 percent 
            college career mark fashioned by a fairly decent point guard with a 
            similar game - Jason Kidd. 
            While lacking Kidd's passing wizardry, Miller shares several of the 
            characteristics that have made the former Cal standout an NBA 
            All-Star. They're both defensive ballhawks and excellent rebounders 
            for their size (Kidd stands 6-4), and they know how to score despite 
            a balky shooting touch. 
            More importantly, both find ways to lead their team to victories. 
            The Utes went a combined 114-20 in Miller's four years as a starter, 
            including 28-5 last season, when they were supposed to be 
            rebuilding. 
            Miller averaged 15.8 points (on 49.1 percent shooting), 5.4 
            rebounds, 5.6 assists and 2.5 steals while earning several 
            All-America honors. The statistics didn't come close to reflecting 
            the impact his court savvy and hustle had on games. 
            "I would play him every minute of the game if I could," said Utah 
            coach Rick Majerus. "He understands the game so well. He's the best 
            point guard I've ever coached." 
            All of which doesn't answer the question of whether the Warriors 
            would take Miller if he were available when they choose 10th in the 
            June 30 draft. After enduring the sight of Bimbo Coles and Muggsy 
            Bogues repeatedly clanking jumpers the last couple of years, the 
            club may prefer to go for a more accomplished shooter - perhaps 
            Duke's William Avery or Arizona's Jason Terry - as it seeks its 
            point guard of the future. 
            Other teams may feel the same way, which is why there's no consensus 
            on where Miller will go in the draft. He said he has heard 
            everything from third to 15th. Teams that pass up on him will be 
            turning their back on a player who has shown the dedication to 
            improve every year. 
            As a slow, lightly recruited guard with poor grades coming out of 
            high school in Los Angeles, Miller was practically ordered to attend 
            Utah by his mother, who didn't want him to settle for a junior 
            college. He sat out his first year as a Prop. 48 casualty, but 
            earned a degree in sociology and criminology in four years, earning 
            an extra season of eligibility. 
            That tenacity showed in the court as well, where Miller overcame his 
            long-range shooting deficiencies by relying on his strength, posting 
            up smaller guards and also scoring off pick-and-rolls and on drives 
            to the basket. 
            Miller - obviously not an advertising major - freely acknowledges 
            his lack of lateral quickness on defense, but insists he's able to 
            defend opponents with his toughness and opportunistic tendencies. 
            Court smarts and instincts don't come across in individual workouts, 
            where there's no teammate to find cutting to the basket or loose 
            ball to turn into a fast-break hoop. Miller hopes teams look past 
            the obvious in judging his worth as a player. 
            "I'm not really a good workout type of player," said Miller, 23. "I 
            think I can get through it and do average. But the best thing I do 
            is come on the court and compete at the level, or higher than, the 
            level of the competition. I think some of the workouts really don't 
            measure the way I can play on the court." 


       

      ©1999 San Francisco Examiner   Page D 1 Examiner