ANDRE MILLER IS ALREADY PROVIDING VETERAN LEADERSHIP!

by hurryup09 on Jul 29, 2009 10:11 AM PDT Comment 42 comments

My favorite Andre Miller answer to the barrage of questions he's received from the Portland media came during Monday's Courtside. Pardon the paraphrasing, but the exchange went something like the following. Mike Rice: "So, Andre, are you in shape yet?" Miller: "I ain't gonna lie to you. Summertime is for resting up, letting your injuries heal, etc. I'm not doing a thing until it's nearly time for training camp. Then I'll work my way into shape and be ready to go on opening day."

Already, the guy is providing that badly-needed "veteran leadership!"

I'm not being sarcastic. If Andre had been around, do you really think the Blazers would have suffered all those training camp & early-season wear & tear injuries the past couple of seasons? [E.g., Martell, Roy, & Frye's ankle & foot problems] Those guys were spending their entire off-seasons obsessively working out & scrimmaging. Their bodies never had a real chance to recover from the 82-game NBA grind. Now, do you think they'd have gone overboard like that if they'd had a role model on the squad like Andre?

Here's one of the NBA's iron men: a guy who's averaged 14.6 points, 7.4 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game in a ten-year career while missing a total of 5 games (two of those while visiting an ill family member, I believe). Who do you think the young Blazers would have listened to? Andre, or the eager beaver coaches telling them they can't rest one moment of the off-season?

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Interesting point.

Though I still feel that working out during the summer is important if you want to see development in young players. Just sometimes they workout too hard.

by tcwoods on Jul 29, 2009 10:30 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, obviously it's a matter of balance

On one end of the spectrum is Martell, who clearly went overboard in his off-season regimen. On the other end there’s Trout, who didn’t even leave his cabin.

"We don't back down to nobody." --Joel Przybilla

by hurryup09 on Jul 29, 2009 11:22 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Somewhere in between martell and travis is the OP

who has a workout consisting of pressing cap locks before typing. :)

Caps aside, good post. Thanks.

by lurtsman on Jul 29, 2009 11:55 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

gotta reply briefly

Hitting that cap lock button triggered my tendonitis.

"We don't back down to nobody." --Joel Przybilla

by hurryup09 on Jul 29, 2009 12:10 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

yup

all about balance.

"Fernandez, to my eyes, is the Blazer who walks that walk most comfortably. A lot of Portland's fans (egged on, dare I say, by their local broadcasters) lament things like how Ron Artest or Yao Ming get to hit Brandon Roy's arms.

But I suspect Fernandez sees all that and thinks: We get to hit arms! Cool!"

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-39-135/On-Playoff-Experience.html

by ratbastird on Jul 29, 2009 3:52 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Depends on what you need to do for the next season.

Guys in their first couple of years would probably be well served coming to camp early. It gives them a chance to put on muscle and better refine their moves. Younger guys are less likely to get injured and will heal faster, so the benefits are there.

Once they get past a certain point it changes. They are already the correct weight, have their moves down, and are just getting a bit older. Injuries and freshness are more of a concern than training time.

Those are my thoughts on the difference. It would be nice to see someone like Przy. resting and someone like Bayless in the camp early.

*Unless KP has a secret plan that makes this statement incorrect.

by staylost on Jul 29, 2009 10:45 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

This is an easy stance for Miller to take.

No one is expecting him to bully into the basket, or box out for rebounds.

On the other side he clearly is not going to need to put a bunch of work into keeping he weight off.

Some players need to work out during the summer.

I heart taxes.

by everett on Jul 29, 2009 10:50 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

ALL players need to work out during the summer

The question is how much and beginning at what point? A 33-year-old vet like Andre Miller would be crazy to be out there killing himself in July. He’d be dead by the time the season began. Which is essentially what he was telling Mike Rice.

"We don't back down to nobody." --Joel Przybilla

by hurryup09 on Jul 29, 2009 11:27 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

i would kind of like him to both bully to the basket and box out for rebounds

maybe im demanding…

Blazer Fan

by leeroyjenkins on Aug 4, 2009 9:34 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well,

there’s a difference between how established vets like Miller (also Przybilla, Blake, and recently Roy) prepare for the season and how young players who need to improve their game should prepare.

I do like the way Miller interviews. My favorite is when he answers leading questions with a straight up “No.”

by ranma on Jul 29, 2009 11:00 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, what a breath of fresh air. The Courtside guys had to laugh when he did that.

"We don't back down to nobody." --Joel Przybilla

by hurryup09 on Jul 29, 2009 11:28 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

that's something that Nate does, as well

last week Jeeay Allen asked him “so, are there any deals coming up that you can talk about?” and Nate said “no” (and the WaW crew broke into laughter at Jay’s expense…)

I’m thinking that Nate will be glad to have a vetaran player he can talk “shop” with as a near-equal, as opposed to late-night bull sessions and “putting out fires” with his former young PGs over style of play and how many minutes they’re getting, etc

MIller may be a good guy for Rex to “vent” with if Jerryd has something on his chest he wouldn’t really want to say to a coach…

When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Jul 29, 2009 12:40 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

is there any way to watch old courtside videos? I would like to take a gander at this.

by tevisthe4th on Jul 29, 2009 1:55 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

it would be on this podcast

http://www.955thegame.com/Personalities/WheelsAtWork/tabid/70/Default.aspx

Waw7-27-09hour3.mp3

When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Jul 29, 2009 5:02 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

sweethanks!

by tevisthe4th on Jul 29, 2009 5:36 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

oops, my bad, it's probably this one

WAW_7_22_h2.mp3

http://www.955thegame.com/Personalities/WheelsAtWork/tabid/70/Default.aspx

I don’t think I went far enough back in time…it’s always fun to revisit old interviews and listen to a coach or GM telling the reporters there’s “nothing happening” a day or two before the FA gets signed. Like Nate didn’t know they were close to making an offer to Andre on the 22nd? Yeah, surrre

When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Jul 29, 2009 5:55 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Here is his full list of being injured/inactive due to injuries or personal reasons, and his disciplinary actions

2001-02-17 Cavaliers sprained right ankle
2001-12-13 Cavaliers bruised/separated right shoulder (DNP)
2002-12-01 Clippers sprained left ankle (DNP)
2003-01-24 Clippers stepfather’s funeral (DNP)
2005-12-07 Nuggets fined $10,000 by NBA for wearing shorts too long
2006-12-22 76ers placed on IL
2006-12-23 76ers activated from IL

by Norsktroll on Jul 29, 2009 11:05 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

It's only rivaled by Tayshaun Prince, who missed 0 games after his rookie season where he was used in only 42 (starting 5). Absolutely clean file.

He even started in all after his second season where he didn’t in just 2. http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/p/princta01.html

by Norsktroll on Jul 29, 2009 11:09 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

When he says he takes the summer off to relax...

does that mean he isn’t making regular visits to the barber, too?

Is this an ad hominem attack? I don’t even know any more.

But I like to be here. Oh, I like it a lot! Said the Cat in the Hat. To the fish in the pot.

by you'vegottomakeyourfreethrows on Jul 29, 2009 11:18 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I know exactly how he feels...

To be honest though, I like Miller’s hair a lot. That and his goofy smile make me laugh.

by ranma on Jul 29, 2009 11:34 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Blazers signed Richard Pryor??

Duct tape makes you smart.

by TTRocks on Jul 29, 2009 5:39 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Different strokes for different folks imo

Some people can probably get away with doing nothing all summer, some guys can’t.

Blazer Fan

by leeroyjenkins on Jul 29, 2009 11:20 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

By the way, I also liked Rice’s questions “Did you ever not start on one of your teams?” and “Did you ever not finish games?” regarding the debate who should be the starter, when he just said “Nope” and it sounded like he fully intends to keep it that way (which isn’t completely true, as a rookie he “only” started 36 games).

by Norsktroll on Jul 29, 2009 11:22 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

That was also his answer to

“Are you in shape?” and “Are you in Portland?”

by ranma on Jul 29, 2009 11:38 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I hope Miller takes the time to show the guys some of his secrets on staying so healthy and maintaning his body, there aren’t a lot of 33 year old guys playing as well as he has

by StocktonNEP on Jul 29, 2009 11:26 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Probably has more to do with picking the right parents than anything else.

by MiledAnimal on Jul 29, 2009 1:23 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Dre and I think alike

by levelhed on Jul 29, 2009 11:50 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

This sounds like an ad hom

if you dislike the way you think

I think you are both great, but I’m not so sure of my own posting ability, therefore I am probably attacking myself

by lurtsman on Jul 29, 2009 12:01 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

flagged!

*Unless KP has a secret plan that makes this statement incorrect.

by staylost on Jul 29, 2009 5:17 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

There's different types of working out you can do

All the players should be working out enough to maintain muscle and a reasonable fitness level. They should all probably be working hard on one or two skills that they want to add to their games.

However, unless you’re trying to significantly alter your size or style, that should be the limit. Younger players are probably trying to change more so they may have slightly harder workouts during the summer. But unless a player is a a freak of nature(and there are some out there) they shouldn’t be working out hard year round. Just makes sense to let the body recover a bit from the pounding of the season.

by boppitywop on Jul 29, 2009 12:56 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs

Exactly.

Offseason should be about adding/improving skills, and maybe some maintenance. (That’s how I do it, as a chess player!)

by austinpwnz on Jul 29, 2009 4:26 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

agree

the idea of taking nearly the whole offseason off is pretty backwards from an exercise science standpoint. There should be a lot of low impact cross training that would be hugely beneficial for any athlete in a high impact sport like basketball.

Life is exhausting when you are this stupid.

I will talk about DeJuan Blair no more forever

by jonestr on Jul 30, 2009 10:11 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Brandon learned the too much summer workouts lesson after year two

Back when everyone came in a full month early. The guys needed the time to practice but they really faltered in March that year. The young guys will learn a lot from Andre as he will be a nice complimentary coack to Nate. Andre will be the on court offensive coach. while we know Nate is the defense expert. We shouldn’t have anymore offense getting stifled like we saw against Houston with Miller.

I also like the follow up comment by Miller to Rice’s question. To paraphrase: …if anyone tells you they are in game shape right now, they are lying.

by NWfan on Jul 29, 2009 2:30 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

That's no paraphrase

I think you’ve nailed the first sentence of Miller’s answer.

"We don't back down to nobody." --Joel Przybilla

by hurryup09 on Jul 29, 2009 2:42 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

The only thing better would be if he'd said...

“If anyone tells you they’re in game shape right now, they’re either lying or they’re a fool! The NBA season is a marathon, not a sprint.”

"We don't back down to nobody." --Joel Przybilla

by hurryup09 on Jul 29, 2009 2:45 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

He should have slapped the reporter

open handed and said, “shut up and make me a sandwich.”

And then sat back in his chair and put his hand in his waistband. Now that’s veteran leadership!

"No disrespect to Jeff Blake"

by Eat Politicians on Jul 29, 2009 10:49 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm torn

I have no problem with anyone taking time off, including Oden, I do have a problem with them taking the entire summer off. Ideally if they took a month’s vacation in Hawaii, that they’d at least jog a bit once a week.

by tominhawaii on Jul 30, 2009 4:33 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

don't the hospitals in hawaii suck?

I have heard that from people that lived there. I have also heard, as a vacation spot they have a very high accident rate for tourists. Usually involving water…

"No disrespect to Jeff Blake"

by Eat Politicians on Jul 30, 2009 9:59 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

The one I go to is better than the one I went to in Mississippi

by tominhawaii on Jul 30, 2009 10:02 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yes, but the diet is oh, so healthy

There’s nothing so nutritious as Spam sushi.

"We don't back down to nobody." --Joel Przybilla

by hurryup09 on Jul 30, 2009 10:16 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

if you're torn you should definitely take time off to mend

Blazer Fan

by leeroyjenkins on Aug 4, 2009 9:33 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

It's funny

because I’ve always thought some skills like SHOOTING for instance could be improved with work. Some players might have too big hands or whatever, but I don’t think that’s Miller’s problem. Now we might know what is.
Then of course it’s hard to argue against someone who has only missed 3 games his whole career (and what’s the use of being and injured 3pt shooter ?)

by Blenzer on Aug 4, 2009 11:21 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs