Andre really wanted to be a Blazer
Over the weekend in Las Vegas, Miller was spotted in the hotel lobby where the Blazers, and staff, were staying. We just happened to be in the lobby heading for the airport at the same time Miller was waiting for his car. He spotted the Blazer logos on our bags and approached my television partner Mike Rice.
Rice asked Miller if he was hoping to become a Blazer. "Oh man, you've got to help me out if you can (not knowing who we were, obviously, and the fact that we have zero juice in this department). I really want this. This is the perfect fit for me, and things are looking very good. I can help this team."
---MB's Blog
over 2 years ago
The Roybot
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Awesome
I’m much happier to have a guy like Miller who’s stoked to be in Portland rather than a Turkoglu who preferred money and a more cosmopolitan city to winning or Millsap who never had any interest in the first place.
Huh?
How do you know Millsap had no interest? Didn’t he sign an offer sheet for four years? That indicates a pretty high level of commitment and interest to me.
"Life is a meaningless sequence of events in between Blazer championships"
by broggerboy19 on Jul 24, 2009 7:43 PM PDT up reply actions
Not to diss Milsap
but his signing a contract with the Blazers doesn’t necessarily mean he wanted to be a Blazer. It just means he wanted to play pro basketball for a certain amount of time and get paid a certain amount of money to do it. The Blazers were an acceptable team to do that with, but not necessarily any more than that.
"It all depends on where his growth will come and we think his growth will come within us" -- Kevin Pritchard on Jerryd Bayless
sure, he just talked to Nate for several hours
to be nice and get McMillian’s advice on financial matters and maybe some recipes
MIllsap and his reps had no way of knowing what Utah was going to do, he just knew they weren’t making any offers and then the Blazers did. If Paul’s conversations with Nate went as far as Millsap agreeing to come off the bench to help his “new” team, that’s good enough for me. There was mutual interest, but he was Jazz property unless the Millers decided they weren’t going to match
When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
That is a fair point
When you compare the teams with cap space to sign him outright, Portland’s a pretty clear choice.
But at least he’s smart enough to realize that!
In honor of the dearly departed, I declare July PB&J month - everyone raise a sandwich to the memory of Ben!
That's true.
Although I believe he said some nice things about Portland before the free agent period even started.
by Nick Van Excellent on Jul 24, 2009 5:51 PM PDT up reply actions
Damn Right
Confucius Says: "Beer before liquor never been sicker, liquor before beer you're in the clear."
Man, I wish this really is Mike Rice.
Or…are YOU Mike Rice?
The Kings have the best bench I’ve seen. There are easily 14 guys on this team good enough for every bench in the league. Now if we could only get some starters, I’d totally jizz in my pants.
Kings fan
by dyshooter182 on Jul 25, 2009 12:30 AM PDT up reply actions
dugh....
it say’s so right there!!!
Confucius Says: “Beer before liquor never been sicker, liquor before beer you’re in the clear.”
by Mike Rice
giggle
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
Glad to have you Andre
What nice stuff to say about the Most Awesome city in the USA
The Dude: Hey, careful, man, there's a beverage here!
by cavejunctionblazer on Jul 24, 2009 6:01 PM PDT reply actions
I was originally opposed to signing Andre.
But after hearing this, I’m glad we signed him.
Welcome Andre
Basically you are a smaller version of Hedo, with a smaller contract.
Our team grows larger in strength today.
This people is one excellent move.
The Oden Era, Day 765
Nice to land a good FA...
and the great thing is that he’s not a white guy. Not to sound inappropriate, but hopefully this helps dispel that idea that the African American players don’t want to come to Portland because it’s ‘too white’. Of course, he did play college ball in Utah, so he might to used to that notion.
Good observation
And if we win a title it will help us garner some killer MLE’s in the years ahead.
"Life is a meaningless sequence of events in between Blazer championships"
by broggerboy19 on Jul 24, 2009 7:44 PM PDT up reply actions
we all like to be wanted
Being a native, I don’t think much of anyone who comes to Oregon and says there’s a better place to live in the US. Unless you’ve got family somewhere else, or you can’t find a job, or have really bad allergies, this state sells itself and why would you ever want to leave it?
So I could never understand it when Damon Stoudamire chose to live in Hotlanta during the offseason…I mean, what was up with that? Maybe it’s easier for him to “disappear” in a large city but geez, Atlanta in the summertime? Same thing with Clyde going “home” to Houston. Sure, his family was down there but you’ve got to really love ‘em to put up with that kind of humidity. Maybe I’ve just got an Oregonian metabolism but I doubt it, I’ve heard folks from all over the country complaining about the heat and “the air you wear!” No thank you, I spent less than a week in Minneapolis one summer and that was plenty sticky for me!
Kenny Vance said he wa at Buffalo Wild Wings during the playoffs last April and he ran into some folks who knew Andre Miller. They said he was in Portland looking for a residence, although it’s not clear if it was for himself or his extended family. We’ve also heard reports that indicate MIller made himself an expert on Portland’s players and system before interviewing with Nate and KP. That’s impressive, and it sure beats the “my wife wants to live in Toronto” attitude that Hedo brought to town. It makes you want to root for Andre, because he wants to be “one of us”
Maybe he won’t live in PDX during the offseason, a lot of rich athletes keep a home in Florida just to save on taxes, that’s just being smart. But it does this Oregonian’s heart proud to know that “at last” KP didn’t have to trade for or beg a FA to come to little ol’ Portland. It’s sure easier to keep them here, when they come willingly
When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
by two4larue on Jul 24, 2009 11:44 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Shenanigans!!!!
No NBA free agents want to come to Portland. MB and Rice are homers making up stories. Don’t you read the Internets?
considering andre miller
has played in places like utah and cleveland when they didnt have lebron, and for teams like the clippers, im sure portland will be a great place to play, even if hes only here for 3 years.
Wow.... a free agent who really wanted to come to Portland and play....
I’m happily shocked. Welcome to PDX!!
from oregian
As the Blazers arrived at the 76ers’ practice facility for a workout, it was shortly after Philadelphia had finished their practice. The rest of the 76ers players had left the facility, but Miller loitered around the locker room door.
“He stood there and watched us,” McMillan said. “It was as if he was checking us out. For like five, 10 minutes, he just looked at us and observed as we got taped up and put our shoes on. All of our coaches remember that. … It was like he was seeing if he fit our team.”
that's cool dig out more and a link... .
I was told once that ya gotta link it or it didn’t happen.
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
;)
with no link mind you …. giggle
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
His excitement excites me!
I still feel like Blake/Roy/Webster will be best for the 1st quarter starting lineup, with Blake and Webster’s ability to shoot threes and consistently drain the open shot from Roy. Then Miller can help the second unit (Rudy/Batum/Outlaw) really set up and dominate. I also think Miller can be a great change of tempo player to come in and get the ball out of Roy’s hands when necesssary. He will be our game finishing point guard, an area of Blake’s game that is seriously lacking. This is obviously counting on Webster returning to the form he left us at. Go Blazers and like I said in a previous post, Western Conference Finals here we come.
Sounds like he knows our team
and he wants to win. I think he’ll fit in well.
"I been ridin' the midnight train, got ice water in my veins." -Bob Dylan
"Sasha? That's a sissy name." -Mike Rice
I love it
I was a little worried before the FA period about Miller’s jumper, but everything else about his game is a fit (he can work well off the ball for periods of time too, he did that with Williams in Philly, so Brandon can take over and it won’t be an issue). Plus at a number/length that is actually reasonable (unlike the Hedo proposal), I like it
Team Bayless - The takeover begins in 2009
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