How Miller Makes Oden Better

Maxey Featured On

How Miller Makes Oden Better

Written by wendell maxey

Monday, 27 July 2009 03:12

andre

When Portland signed free agent point guard Andre Miller past Friday, I couldn’t help but think about Greg Oden.

At that time, Oden was busy running things in Las Vegas at Team USA mini-camp where Portland had to be happy he just made it out of that three-day scrimmage pain and injury free. You can head over to HOOPSWORLD for that story - “Letting Greg Oden Play”.

Now I know management and the coaching staff want Greg to come into training camp and next season with his mind straight locked on rebounding and defense. And that’s all fine. But by adding a guy like Miller to the Blazers mix is only going to boost Oden offensively.

Wherever Miller has gone in his 10 years in the league, the bigs he’s played with have all stepped their scoring game up thanks to Andre and his lob passes.

Back in Cleveland, Miller played with Zydrunas Ilgauskas during Miller’s first three seasons in the NBA (from 1999-2002). In that time Ilgauskas averaged roughly 11 points per game, all while battling injuries to his left foot.

In his lone season (2002-03) with the Los Angeles Clippers, Miller helped Michael Olowokandi improve his scoring average to 12.3 points per game, allowing the flash in the pan “Candyman” to receive a hefty payday with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Even a defensive minded center like Marcus Camby fell into an offensive groove. In three seasons in Denver – a stretch where Miller never missed a single game – Camby raised his scoring average from 7.6 points per game to 8.6 ppg, 10.3 ppg and finally 12.8 ppg in 2006. That’s Camby’s second best career-scoring average next to his rookie year in Toronto where he put up 14.8 points per game.

Philadelphia center Samuel Dalembert also benefited from the addition of Andre in the middle of the 2006-07 season when Miller was traded to the Sixers for Allen Iverson. Dalembert averaged both 10.7 points and 10.5 points per game during the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons. Those scoring numbers are Dalembert’s best in his seven-year career.

So where does that leave Greg Oden? In 61 games last season, Oden went for 8.9 points per game.

Are we talking averaging 11 points per game with Miller running the point?

Do I hear 12?

pic via: ny daily news

Set as favorite

Bookmark

Email this

Comments (10) Add Comment

...
written by Baby Huey, July 27, 2009

I raise, I believe with increased minutes and the addition of Miller, Oden could be up around 14-15 pts per game. Sure most of that will come on offensive rebounds and put backs, but add in 3-4 easy buckets per night from Miller and all of a sudden Greg "the bust" Oden is somewhere around 14pts 12rebs.....not bad for a 2nd year guy.

...
written by Chistopher, July 27, 2009

It all depends on Greg's footwork and decision making on the defensive end. It's hard to polish any sort of an offensive game from the bench. If he stays out of foul trouble he's a 15-17 ppg guy. He's just too powerful to be denied.

...
written by wmaxey, July 27, 2009

think this goes without saying but.....he's gonna need to stay out of foul trouble to get a real jump on the offensive end.

...
written by wmaxey, July 27, 2009

thanks for reading and writing....

looks like we are on the same page when it comes to greg and his ability to stay on the floor and out of foul trouble.

15-17 ppg is still too high for me. i'm going 12-13 ppg myself, which is still solid in this second full year.

...
written by nikolokolus, July 28, 2009

I'd like to say it adds at least a few buckets to Greg's game, but the player I'm really excited to see benefit is LaMarcus, who can already pretty much outrun any 4 or 5 in the league down the court on the break. If Miller and he develop any kind of connection or chemistry, LMA might end up being the team's leading scorer next season.

Any way you slice it, the bigs on this team jobs just became that much easier.

...
written by hg, July 28, 2009

IMO, Greg will and 2 to 4 points by himself. Miller could add 4 to 6 pts. that would be 14 to 20 pts. give or take a couple.

Question: If Miller is supposed to help Greg, Rudy, Bayless, Batuum, Travis and BRoy, LMA, Joel, and Webster how are we going to spread him that thin?
Nate said he was going to start is starting 5 that won 54 games and tied second in the Western conference. That would leave Miller, Rudy, Webster, Travis and Greg on the second unit. Miller will make Greg lots more then 4 to six points better. You would have to put Miller with BRoy and LMA at times to get a rhythm with them.

What is your take on this Mr. Maxey?

hg

...
written by hg, July 28, 2009

Please forgive my typo's

hg

...
written by wmaxey, July 28, 2009

as soon as the deal got done, you had to give both greg and lamarcus the upper hand on gaining the most from signing miller.

no doubt aldridge will benefit too, and we can pretty much add brandon's name to that discussion. will be nice for portland to have mutliple options when the need a bucket aside from what we saw last season with roy and travis outlaw.

miller will be one of those guys, and surely aldridge will be too.

...
written by wmaxey, July 28, 2009

hey hg....

it's easy for nate to say that here at the end of july when nothing is on the line and you haven't see this guys on the floor together, but once camp gets underway the overall play may sway his decision making ability when setting his starting five.

it will be real hard not to include greg and andre - maybe even martell - in that starting five if they kill it in training camp. if a guy earns the job, any declarations from july are out the window.

also, you never know what injuries will arise to change a starting five.

i think nate sings a different tune in october.

...
written by nikolokolus, July 29, 2009

Hey Wendell don't you think this was just a little bit of professional courtesy on Nate's part toward Blake? The guy was his starter the past two seasons and has a very steady, complimentary style of play and apparently almost no ego (pride is an altogether different matter).

I'm glad Nate gave Steve the vote of confidence he did, even if it isn't likely to hold form through training camp; he's going to need a productive 18-20 minutes out of him and respecting a guy who was an integral part of a good season just feels like good business.