http://www.sacbee.com/351/story/121011.html
Musselman wants Miller to go above and beyond
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 6:17 am PST Friday, February 9, 2007
He had the reputation as unorthodox before, and now there's this.
Brad Miller the high-post passer will also be Brad Miller the three-point shooter, center position be darned. Kings coach Eric Musselman has asked his center to take his perimeter game even farther from hoop as a means to improve offensive spacing.
"One of the things we've asked him to do is not to be spaced out inside the three-point line, but to be spaced out outside the three-point line," Musselman said. "We want Brad to start taking three-point shots. When he's open, we don't want the hesitation."
When Musselman was hired during the offseason, he spoke more often about Miller's three-point abilities than he did his well-known passing skills.
Miller was coming off a season in which he had taken more than twice as many attempts from beyond the arc than any season before, hitting 34 of 88 at a clip of 38.6 percent. The trend has not continued, though, as Miller has hit just 4 of 22 three-point attempts this season.
"I've always been a rhythm guy, so I'm not going to go out there and just shoot them," Miller said. "I'll just shoot them in the context of the offense."
Miller's all-around game has been on the rise recently. Entering Thursday, he had averaged 5.5 assists and 7.6 rebounds in the 11 games since returning from a two-game absence because of personal reasons. The sight of wing players cutting to the hoop and turning Miller passes into easy baskets is routine again, this as the Kings' offense has been on the rise and ranked ninth in the league (100.2 points per game) before they faced Chicago.
But the development that has his teammates giddy is his recent presence in the paint on the defensive end.
After tallying just 10 blocks in his first 29 games, Miller had eight blocks in the six games before the Bulls' visit, including two key swats to secure the Kings' win over New Orleans on Monday.
On the road -- Kevin Martin's father and younger brother have been staying with him for a week, taking in three home games during the stay before hitting the road back to Zanesville, Ohio.
They've done it in a fashion far from the charter-flight style Martin is so used to, an old-fashioned commercial flight West after driving journeys to road games in Detroit and New York.
John Salmons, on the other hand, covered far less ground and had no fun doing it Thursday. The Kings swingman was rear-ended on his way to the game on Interstate 80, arriving later than usual but in plenty of time to compete. No one was hurt in the accident.
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@sacbee.com.
Musselman wants Miller to go above and beyond
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 6:17 am PST Friday, February 9, 2007
He had the reputation as unorthodox before, and now there's this.
Brad Miller the high-post passer will also be Brad Miller the three-point shooter, center position be darned. Kings coach Eric Musselman has asked his center to take his perimeter game even farther from hoop as a means to improve offensive spacing.
"One of the things we've asked him to do is not to be spaced out inside the three-point line, but to be spaced out outside the three-point line," Musselman said. "We want Brad to start taking three-point shots. When he's open, we don't want the hesitation."
When Musselman was hired during the offseason, he spoke more often about Miller's three-point abilities than he did his well-known passing skills.
Miller was coming off a season in which he had taken more than twice as many attempts from beyond the arc than any season before, hitting 34 of 88 at a clip of 38.6 percent. The trend has not continued, though, as Miller has hit just 4 of 22 three-point attempts this season.
"I've always been a rhythm guy, so I'm not going to go out there and just shoot them," Miller said. "I'll just shoot them in the context of the offense."
Miller's all-around game has been on the rise recently. Entering Thursday, he had averaged 5.5 assists and 7.6 rebounds in the 11 games since returning from a two-game absence because of personal reasons. The sight of wing players cutting to the hoop and turning Miller passes into easy baskets is routine again, this as the Kings' offense has been on the rise and ranked ninth in the league (100.2 points per game) before they faced Chicago.
But the development that has his teammates giddy is his recent presence in the paint on the defensive end.
After tallying just 10 blocks in his first 29 games, Miller had eight blocks in the six games before the Bulls' visit, including two key swats to secure the Kings' win over New Orleans on Monday.
On the road -- Kevin Martin's father and younger brother have been staying with him for a week, taking in three home games during the stay before hitting the road back to Zanesville, Ohio.
They've done it in a fashion far from the charter-flight style Martin is so used to, an old-fashioned commercial flight West after driving journeys to road games in Detroit and New York.
John Salmons, on the other hand, covered far less ground and had no fun doing it Thursday. The Kings swingman was rear-ended on his way to the game on Interstate 80, arriving later than usual but in plenty of time to compete. No one was hurt in the accident.
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@sacbee.com.
Miller gets sooo ticked he goes out to the three point line and buries one three after another. He didn't think
. He just shot the freaking ball. I say that Musselman should hire someone to put on the opposing team's jersey, give him a rubber mallet, and slam Miller's hand just to give Miller a little boost for the game.
