An Unlikely Hero

Most every year, some previously unheralded role player steps up and produces in clutch, save the universe, situations. The common wisdom is that stars dominate the post season, but LBJ. if you recall, desperately needed Daniel Gibson's heroic contributions just a few years back. In the post season, role players step up, or teams go home sad. See; Sean Elliot. Norm Nixon. Robert Horry. Steve Kerr.

My point is: I just might, kinda sorta, like Andre Miller in tights and a cape.

In my most recent FanPost, "Ultimately, It's About Oden," I more or less disrespected Miller's game, but mainly his terrible jump shot.  Miller, though, is a good choice for player most likely to surprise in a playoff run, and produce numbers well above his career norms.

You see, Andre is delusional. He thinks he's a great player. He's always thought so, and he never let the facts get in the way of this belief, but that's OK.

He's played for 5 NBA teams in twelve years, and has been twice traded. He has lead 5 playoff teams. None of these teams tasted the second round. His last employer, the Philadelphia 76ers, had a veteran roster including Andre Iguadala and Elton Brand. 76er management, however, thought so little of Miller's contributions that they drafted Holiday, Jrue Holiday, JrueJrue Holiday, with the 17th pick in last June's Draft, and let Miller walk, receiving nothing in return. Holiday, no sure thing, was the 5th or sixth PG drafted. An unrestricted free agent, Andre waited as household names such as Turkoglu and Millsap were wined and dined. Plan C, he was called.

Bottom line: Miller gets no pub. He is regularly marginalized. And in his secret dark heart, that place where he crams all of his feelings on these painful matters; it is a deep freeze, and this has made him a very angry man, sullen, and solitary.

Still OK, you ask? Yeah! It's OK. It's OK because Andre is poised for a break out w/ a player like Brandon Roy. Some people wait their entire lives for that special moment. They work, and they press, and they work some more, desperate to put the doubters and the naysayers in their place. They know that they are great at what they do, no matter what anyone says, especially the bloggers.  Andre knows with all his being that he was born to lead, to be a champion, and that he's simply plotting his next opportunity, imagining how its going to taste, and savoring the dream of serving it up cold.