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Ailene Voisin: Rough season, tough summer motivate Miller
By Ailene Voisin - Bee Sports Columnist
Published 12:00 am PDT Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Brad Miller is 30 years old, which by NBA standards means he is rapidly approaching middle age, that time when the bones snap easily, the aches linger, the energy ebbs at inopportune moments. And there is always the possibility of that mid-career crisis, which is sort of what the Kings' center is experiencing as he embarks on his ninth season.
The recent past still haunts. His 2005-06 stats dipped appreciably. His postseason contribution was minimal. His subsequent participation with the U.S. national team was a double hit; he barely played during the world championships in Japan and instead was forced to watch his faster, more athletic teammates falter against the pick and roll (and Greece) in the semifinals.
"I didn't enjoy last season because I didn't play at a high level," Miller admitted the other day. "I was disappointed in myself. Then to spend five weeks of the summer and not win the gold medal ... it hurt a lot."
So how best to emerge from his funk?
Buy a fast car? Swap girlfriends? Shed a few pounds and improve the wardrobe?
Miller has become lighter, leaner and at least a little quicker. But he kept the car and the girlfriend. No, the more radical changes figure to occur on the basketball court, with new coach Eric Musselman urging Miller to perform like a slick-shooting, crafty point guard on offense but utilize his 7-foot, 245-pound frame as if he were an impenetrable retaining wall on wheels.
The days of defense as a Kings afterthought appear to be history. Mike Bibby. Kevin Martin. Kenny Thomas. Miller. No one gets a pass anymore when an opponent zips past or pounces on a loose ball.
"We've really been trying to stress contesting the shot and staying close on the ball in general," Musselman said, "and Brad has really made an effort of meeting guys earlier and bumping them. And while his rebounding was down last year ... I spent a lot of time this summer looking at tape, and I thought that even though he plays out high, his natural reaction was to run back on (transition) defense because no one else was. We don't want that. We want other guys to cover the back so he has the freedom to go to the offensive boards."
And for those who might be prone toward the momentary memory lapse, here's a news flash: Miller is eminently capable of filling the numerous categories in the nightly stat sheet. A three-time All-Star, he is an exceptional perimeter shooter and much-improved passer (thanks partly to Vlade Divac's influence) who, in his earlier NBA seasons, was a bruising, physical interior defender and rebounder. There was an endearing nastiness about him; when not shooting glares and engaging in staredowns, he wasn't above delivering sharp words or timely elbows.
That's the Miller -- the old Miller -- that Musselman wants to see this season. The question is how best to overcome what Miller himself acknowledges as the major stumbling block. His physical tools are intact; the mental component is the issue.
Admittedly, his struggles coincided with the diminishing of Divac's role and the icon's ultimate departure, then became exacerbated with an altered offense that featured so many low-post players, the lane became more gridlocked than I-5 at rush hour. For all of Bonzi Wells' talent, for instance, he was a less-gifted Ron Artest. His defection to the Houston Rockets not only ensures more playing time for Martin, Francisco García and newcomer John Salmons, it hints at better spacing, crisper ball movement and a more fluid offense in general.
Ultimately, this should be more Miller's kind of game, these Kings more his kind of team. But it will be incumbent upon the Indiana native to re-establish himself as an invaluable presence in the middle. To accomplish this, he must erase the disk and forget all about last season, last postseason, last summer. He should look at 2006-07 as a second career, with life beginning anew at 30.
"I am really anxious to get back out there," Miller said. "The hardest part was, Oh, after five weeks of playing this summer, camp is starting again. But I am starting to feel refreshed. I am really curious to see how this all comes out."
Go to: Sacbee / Back to story
Ailene Voisin: Rough season, tough summer motivate Miller
By Ailene Voisin - Bee Sports Columnist
Published 12:00 am PDT Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Brad Miller is 30 years old, which by NBA standards means he is rapidly approaching middle age, that time when the bones snap easily, the aches linger, the energy ebbs at inopportune moments. And there is always the possibility of that mid-career crisis, which is sort of what the Kings' center is experiencing as he embarks on his ninth season.
The recent past still haunts. His 2005-06 stats dipped appreciably. His postseason contribution was minimal. His subsequent participation with the U.S. national team was a double hit; he barely played during the world championships in Japan and instead was forced to watch his faster, more athletic teammates falter against the pick and roll (and Greece) in the semifinals.
"I didn't enjoy last season because I didn't play at a high level," Miller admitted the other day. "I was disappointed in myself. Then to spend five weeks of the summer and not win the gold medal ... it hurt a lot."
So how best to emerge from his funk?
Buy a fast car? Swap girlfriends? Shed a few pounds and improve the wardrobe?
Miller has become lighter, leaner and at least a little quicker. But he kept the car and the girlfriend. No, the more radical changes figure to occur on the basketball court, with new coach Eric Musselman urging Miller to perform like a slick-shooting, crafty point guard on offense but utilize his 7-foot, 245-pound frame as if he were an impenetrable retaining wall on wheels.
The days of defense as a Kings afterthought appear to be history. Mike Bibby. Kevin Martin. Kenny Thomas. Miller. No one gets a pass anymore when an opponent zips past or pounces on a loose ball.
"We've really been trying to stress contesting the shot and staying close on the ball in general," Musselman said, "and Brad has really made an effort of meeting guys earlier and bumping them. And while his rebounding was down last year ... I spent a lot of time this summer looking at tape, and I thought that even though he plays out high, his natural reaction was to run back on (transition) defense because no one else was. We don't want that. We want other guys to cover the back so he has the freedom to go to the offensive boards."
And for those who might be prone toward the momentary memory lapse, here's a news flash: Miller is eminently capable of filling the numerous categories in the nightly stat sheet. A three-time All-Star, he is an exceptional perimeter shooter and much-improved passer (thanks partly to Vlade Divac's influence) who, in his earlier NBA seasons, was a bruising, physical interior defender and rebounder. There was an endearing nastiness about him; when not shooting glares and engaging in staredowns, he wasn't above delivering sharp words or timely elbows.
That's the Miller -- the old Miller -- that Musselman wants to see this season. The question is how best to overcome what Miller himself acknowledges as the major stumbling block. His physical tools are intact; the mental component is the issue.
Admittedly, his struggles coincided with the diminishing of Divac's role and the icon's ultimate departure, then became exacerbated with an altered offense that featured so many low-post players, the lane became more gridlocked than I-5 at rush hour. For all of Bonzi Wells' talent, for instance, he was a less-gifted Ron Artest. His defection to the Houston Rockets not only ensures more playing time for Martin, Francisco García and newcomer John Salmons, it hints at better spacing, crisper ball movement and a more fluid offense in general.
Ultimately, this should be more Miller's kind of game, these Kings more his kind of team. But it will be incumbent upon the Indiana native to re-establish himself as an invaluable presence in the middle. To accomplish this, he must erase the disk and forget all about last season, last postseason, last summer. He should look at 2006-07 as a second career, with life beginning anew at 30.
"I am really anxious to get back out there," Miller said. "The hardest part was, Oh, after five weeks of playing this summer, camp is starting again. But I am starting to feel refreshed. I am really curious to see how this all comes out."
Go to: Sacbee / Back to story
