Clippers may start over at point -- again
By Terry Brown
NBA Insider
Thursday, July 31
Updated: July 31
11:51 AM ET
Sometime tonight, the Los Angeles Clippers might have their third starting point guard in three years. and Andre Miller might be starting for his third team in that same amount of time.
The Clippers must decide by midnight ET if they are going to match the $51 million offer sheet Miller signed with the Denver Nuggets 15 days ago. The value of the deal could balloon to $55 million with incentives and is already frontloaded with a $14.5 million payout before Miller ever takes the floor.
For the Clippers, the point guard progression the past three seasons reads Jeff McInnis, Miller and maybe Keyon Dooling or Marco Jaric running an offense for the franchise's third coach in that span.
Miller
For Miller, it will be from Cleveland to Los Angeles to Denver, playing for teams that won 32 games in 1999-2000, 30 games in 2000-01, 29 games in 2001-02 and 27 games in 2002-03.
Vindication hangs in the balance for both of them.
"We're still looking for a couple shooters and maybe a big man," Nugget GM Vandeweghe said in the Rocky Mountain News with rumors already flying that Stephen Jackson of the defending champion San Antonio Spurs wants to join Denver if Miller is there. "I would love to have had it done yesterday. You have to make sure you're patient about it. You have to pick your spots. Hopefully we get lucky with Andre."
And, hopefully for him, Andre gets lucky with them as several media sources are expecting the Clippers to let the deadline pass without making a move.
In 2001-02, Miller had his best year as a pro, averaging 16.5 points per game, leading the league with 10.9 assists and shooting 45 percent from the field.
In 2002-03, Miller regressed for the first time in his career, his scoring falling to 13.6 points per game, his assists dipping to 6.7 per game and his shooting finally leveling off at 40 percent for the season.
The difference, though, had little to do with him. He was a product of his surroundings, and while it may be difficult to tell the difference between a Cleveland team that won 29 games and an L.A. team that won 27 games the next, the difference meant everything to Miller.
In his last year in Cleveland, Miller was the point guard. Period. He handled the ball. He did the dribbling, the passing and directed the offense. And, as mentioned, his 10.9 assists led the league -- no other Cavalier averaged more than 2.3.
Power forward Tyrone Hill led the team in rebounding average with 10.5 per game while no other Cleveland player averaged more than 6. When on the floor, Hill grabbed more than 25 percent of the missed shots for a team that combined for only 42.1 percent shooting.
Murray
To Miller's right and to his left were always Lamond Murray, the team's leading scorer, and Wesley Person, the team's best shooter. Between the three of them, they would lead the Cavs in scoring in 58 of 82 regular season games. That's 70 percent of the time that Miller knew who would be scoring.
Murray and Person would go on to make 244 of the team's 387 3-pointers while shooting a tidy 42 percent and 44 percent, respectively, from long distance.
The Cavs' top five scorers missed only 45 games combined all season with the oft-injured Zydrunas Ilgauskus accounting for 20 of them by himself. But Miller knew about Ilgauskus' history going into the season.
That was the team. For good or for bad, everybody had a role, everybody knew their role, and Miller flourished in it.
Last season, Miller was a point guard on probation. Maybe the Clippers would re-sign the soon to be restricted free agent or maybe they wouldn't after trading away fan favorite Darius Miles just to get him in the first place.
In a tumultuous season, the Clippers ended up starting 15 different players. Miller was the only stabilizing factor, playing in a team-high 80 games. His backup, Jaric, played in the third most with 66. Little used Sean Rooks was second with 70.
The other four starters missed a total of 117 games.
As a result, the team had 10 different leading scorers, the most consistent being Corey Maggette, who once led the team in scoring for seven consecutive games, by far the longest streak of the season, only to see the team lose six of those games.
There were five different players who made between 42 and 62 3-pointers on the season, and no one on the team made more than 80.
Brand
Michael Olowokandi sometimes led them in rebounding, when he wasn't sulking. Elton Brand sometimes led them in rebounding when he wasn't rehabbing.
By the final month of the season, the Clippers had five different leading scorers in a span of nine games and a locker room full of players about to become restricted free agents -- including Brand, Odom, Maggette and Miller -- and one, Olowokandi, about to become an unrestricted free agent.
That was an entire starting rotation in flux, and Miller failed miserably to lead it.
The end of today will, most likely, mark a new beginning for both the Clippers and Andre Miller.
The Clippers will look to stabilize a troubled franchise by spending a lot of money on a lot of players that don't include Miller. Miller will try to stabilize a career by going to a team that won only 17 games last season.
We'll soon know a little bit more about both of their futures. In 82 games, we'll know even more.
------------------------------------------
Peep Show
By Terry Brown
NBA Insider
Thursday, July 31
Updated: July 31
9:04 AM ET
Carter
San Antonio Spurs: Because of a technicality, Anthony Carter will lose more than $3 million this year. Because of that technicality, the Spurs will get their backup point guard for just under $700 thousand when he could have been making $4 million with the Heat. The Miami Herald is reporting that San Antonio has signed Carter to a multi-year deal to replace last year's backup, Speedy Claxton, who recently signed with the Warriors. Carter became a free agent after he and his agent failed to notify the Heat that he was exercising the player's option on his contract by the June 30 deadline, thereby nullifying the deal.
Milwaukee Bucks: If George Karl had his way, he'd still be coaching the Bucks. But if he had his choice for his replacement, he'd choose one of his assistants, including Don Newman. But it looks like he may not even get that wish as the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is reporting that Newman has dropped out of the running and is pondering an assistant coach position with the New Jersey Nets. "I hope Terry or Donnie gets it," Karl said earlier. "Those would be my personal choices of the people they are interviewing. They both have an advantage to coaching this team because they know it and have a comfort zone with it." Terry Stotts is still in the running with GM Larry Harris expected to trim the list to two or three candidates by the end of the week.
Bell
Dallas Mavericks: No news has been bad news for Raja Bell. He played for the Mavericks last season and says they told him they wanted him back early in the offseason but have yet to back those claims up. "They spoke to me early, and everybody said then that they want me back," Bell told the Dallas Morning News. "But as of now, I'm going to explore all my options. I'd love to come back to Dallas, but I'd love for them to really want me back, too. Right now, I don't see it that way. Right now, it [returning to the Mavericks] is looking a little doubtful. But things can change."
Cleveland Cavaliers: The Akron Beacon Journal is reporting that GM Jim Paxson will be given an extension on his contract that was due to expire at the end of this year. His time with the Cavs has been marked by success with the draft picks of Andre Miller and Dajaun Wagner but also by failure with the selections of DeSagana Diop and Trajan Langdon. Ultimately, though, his legacy will be determined by LeBron James, and at least he'll be around to see it happen.
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By Terry Brown
NBA Insider
Thursday, July 31
Updated: July 31
11:51 AM ET
Sometime tonight, the Los Angeles Clippers might have their third starting point guard in three years. and Andre Miller might be starting for his third team in that same amount of time.
The Clippers must decide by midnight ET if they are going to match the $51 million offer sheet Miller signed with the Denver Nuggets 15 days ago. The value of the deal could balloon to $55 million with incentives and is already frontloaded with a $14.5 million payout before Miller ever takes the floor.
For the Clippers, the point guard progression the past three seasons reads Jeff McInnis, Miller and maybe Keyon Dooling or Marco Jaric running an offense for the franchise's third coach in that span.
Miller
For Miller, it will be from Cleveland to Los Angeles to Denver, playing for teams that won 32 games in 1999-2000, 30 games in 2000-01, 29 games in 2001-02 and 27 games in 2002-03.
Vindication hangs in the balance for both of them.
"We're still looking for a couple shooters and maybe a big man," Nugget GM Vandeweghe said in the Rocky Mountain News with rumors already flying that Stephen Jackson of the defending champion San Antonio Spurs wants to join Denver if Miller is there. "I would love to have had it done yesterday. You have to make sure you're patient about it. You have to pick your spots. Hopefully we get lucky with Andre."
And, hopefully for him, Andre gets lucky with them as several media sources are expecting the Clippers to let the deadline pass without making a move.
In 2001-02, Miller had his best year as a pro, averaging 16.5 points per game, leading the league with 10.9 assists and shooting 45 percent from the field.
In 2002-03, Miller regressed for the first time in his career, his scoring falling to 13.6 points per game, his assists dipping to 6.7 per game and his shooting finally leveling off at 40 percent for the season.
The difference, though, had little to do with him. He was a product of his surroundings, and while it may be difficult to tell the difference between a Cleveland team that won 29 games and an L.A. team that won 27 games the next, the difference meant everything to Miller.
In his last year in Cleveland, Miller was the point guard. Period. He handled the ball. He did the dribbling, the passing and directed the offense. And, as mentioned, his 10.9 assists led the league -- no other Cavalier averaged more than 2.3.
Power forward Tyrone Hill led the team in rebounding average with 10.5 per game while no other Cleveland player averaged more than 6. When on the floor, Hill grabbed more than 25 percent of the missed shots for a team that combined for only 42.1 percent shooting.
Murray
To Miller's right and to his left were always Lamond Murray, the team's leading scorer, and Wesley Person, the team's best shooter. Between the three of them, they would lead the Cavs in scoring in 58 of 82 regular season games. That's 70 percent of the time that Miller knew who would be scoring.
Murray and Person would go on to make 244 of the team's 387 3-pointers while shooting a tidy 42 percent and 44 percent, respectively, from long distance.
The Cavs' top five scorers missed only 45 games combined all season with the oft-injured Zydrunas Ilgauskus accounting for 20 of them by himself. But Miller knew about Ilgauskus' history going into the season.
That was the team. For good or for bad, everybody had a role, everybody knew their role, and Miller flourished in it.
Last season, Miller was a point guard on probation. Maybe the Clippers would re-sign the soon to be restricted free agent or maybe they wouldn't after trading away fan favorite Darius Miles just to get him in the first place.
In a tumultuous season, the Clippers ended up starting 15 different players. Miller was the only stabilizing factor, playing in a team-high 80 games. His backup, Jaric, played in the third most with 66. Little used Sean Rooks was second with 70.
The other four starters missed a total of 117 games.
As a result, the team had 10 different leading scorers, the most consistent being Corey Maggette, who once led the team in scoring for seven consecutive games, by far the longest streak of the season, only to see the team lose six of those games.
There were five different players who made between 42 and 62 3-pointers on the season, and no one on the team made more than 80.
Brand
Michael Olowokandi sometimes led them in rebounding, when he wasn't sulking. Elton Brand sometimes led them in rebounding when he wasn't rehabbing.
By the final month of the season, the Clippers had five different leading scorers in a span of nine games and a locker room full of players about to become restricted free agents -- including Brand, Odom, Maggette and Miller -- and one, Olowokandi, about to become an unrestricted free agent.
That was an entire starting rotation in flux, and Miller failed miserably to lead it.
The end of today will, most likely, mark a new beginning for both the Clippers and Andre Miller.
The Clippers will look to stabilize a troubled franchise by spending a lot of money on a lot of players that don't include Miller. Miller will try to stabilize a career by going to a team that won only 17 games last season.
We'll soon know a little bit more about both of their futures. In 82 games, we'll know even more.
------------------------------------------
Peep Show
By Terry Brown
NBA Insider
Thursday, July 31
Updated: July 31
9:04 AM ET
Carter
San Antonio Spurs: Because of a technicality, Anthony Carter will lose more than $3 million this year. Because of that technicality, the Spurs will get their backup point guard for just under $700 thousand when he could have been making $4 million with the Heat. The Miami Herald is reporting that San Antonio has signed Carter to a multi-year deal to replace last year's backup, Speedy Claxton, who recently signed with the Warriors. Carter became a free agent after he and his agent failed to notify the Heat that he was exercising the player's option on his contract by the June 30 deadline, thereby nullifying the deal.
Milwaukee Bucks: If George Karl had his way, he'd still be coaching the Bucks. But if he had his choice for his replacement, he'd choose one of his assistants, including Don Newman. But it looks like he may not even get that wish as the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is reporting that Newman has dropped out of the running and is pondering an assistant coach position with the New Jersey Nets. "I hope Terry or Donnie gets it," Karl said earlier. "Those would be my personal choices of the people they are interviewing. They both have an advantage to coaching this team because they know it and have a comfort zone with it." Terry Stotts is still in the running with GM Larry Harris expected to trim the list to two or three candidates by the end of the week.
Bell
Dallas Mavericks: No news has been bad news for Raja Bell. He played for the Mavericks last season and says they told him they wanted him back early in the offseason but have yet to back those claims up. "They spoke to me early, and everybody said then that they want me back," Bell told the Dallas Morning News. "But as of now, I'm going to explore all my options. I'd love to come back to Dallas, but I'd love for them to really want me back, too. Right now, I don't see it that way. Right now, it [returning to the Mavericks] is looking a little doubtful. But things can change."
Cleveland Cavaliers: The Akron Beacon Journal is reporting that GM Jim Paxson will be given an extension on his contract that was due to expire at the end of this year. His time with the Cavs has been marked by success with the draft picks of Andre Miller and Dajaun Wagner but also by failure with the selections of DeSagana Diop and Trajan Langdon. Ultimately, though, his legacy will be determined by LeBron James, and at least he'll be around to see it happen.
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