http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/14281523p-15089660c.html
Ailene Voisin: Miller uses past woes to wow at U.S. camp
By Ailene Voisin -- Bee Sports Columnist
Published 12:01 am PDT Tuesday, July 25, 2006
LAS VEGAS -- The city council recently passed an ordinance making it a crime to feed the homeless in city parks. The mayor who once defended mob bosses has proposed chopping off the thumbs of local graffiti artists. The high school gyms are overpopulated with the usual flesh peddlers (agents, runners, sneaker executives) attending the annual high-profile prep basketball tournaments.
Yep, this is the perfect place for Brad Miller right now.
He can get lost in the shuffle while playing straight man to the stars.
He can perform at his slimmed-down, understated best -- tossing crisp passes, converting occasional jumpers, flexing for jarring screens, complementing his more celebrated teammates -- with the understanding that his participation during these U.S. national team trials is accomplishing two things: It is taking him a step closer to China for the 2008 Summer Olympics and provides further distance from his miserable 2006 Kings postseason. In other words, he will leave here a winner, one way or another.
"I took losing that series to the Spurs really hard," Miller said slowly, his voice barely above a whisper, hours before he was expected to be named to the 15-man USA touring roster. "Plus, I played like (crap)."
This is your basic guy with the classic below-the-rim floor game.
Put him on a playground and he loses a footrace against himself.
Yet send him into a gym with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Shawn Marion, among others, surround him with talented, athletic and unselfish teammates, and his game grows by leaps and leaps. The crisp, timely bounce passes. The smooth stroke from the wings.
The arms and elbows that flail when necessary, when there is a big body to dislodge or a critical rebound to be collected. The individual stats that stretch into double digits almost as an afterthought.
So, it turns out that despite the awful posteason and erratic regular season, Miller, 30, hasn't forgotten everything he knew about the game after all. Attribute his slump to a protracted senior moment and an offensive system that routinely consisted of one ball, one pass and one very large crowd in the low post.
While he is incapable of recreating the old days -- "Our chemistry was incredible back then," he said wistfully, referring to 2003-04 Kings team that featured fellow starters Vlade Divac, Mike Bibby, Doug Christie and Peja Stojakovic -- he has dusted off his considerable skills, dropped some soft upper-body tissue and, by reclaiming some of his former feistiness, earned that second look from USA Basketball coaches and officials. During today's 10:30 a.m. news conference at the Wynn hotel/casino, Miller is expected to survive coach Mike Krzyzewski's opening round of cuts.
"It's been interesting trying to watch Brad play denial defense," cracked Krzyzewski, with a wry grin, after Monday's practice at UNLV's Cox Pavilion, "and he's trying to do that. He's actually stepping in better. I told him we were creating this defensive monster, and he said, 'I'm not sure about that, coach.' But, I mean, he's just 30. He's playing a little bit different, but that's not a bad thing."
Getting into better shape this early in the offseason was a start, and a dramatic departure from the past. Miller has never been one of those NBA stars who escapes the heat by frequenting the gym. He typically breaks a sweat while seated on his boat, with fishing pole in hand. Yet motivated both by his disappointing postseason and his desire to make the national team that is preparing for next month's world championships in Japan, he has shed almost 10 pounds from his 255-pound frame -- clearly a wise decision. He is noticeably leaner and lighter on his feet. The only 7-footer in camp, he is active, physical, engaged. There has been no standing off to the side, deferring to teammates.
"I want to be a faster Vlade," he said half-jokingly. "I played that whole year (2003-04) at about 240 to 245 pounds, and it was my best season. That was the best team I'd ever played on. Then Webb (Chris Webber) comes back ... you never know.
"It's hard to find that great team chemistry. That's what makes it so special. That's why playing on this (USA) team has been so much fun."
Seated against the stands after practice, Miller, minus his familiar headband, seems genuinely invigorated and intrigued by the Kings' offseason. He is lobbying Geoff Petrie to add depth at power forward or center. He mentions the acquisition of John Salmons and predicts the departure of Bonzi Wells. He is monitoring the arena situation and allows that he was neither surprised by Rick Adelman's ouster nor displeased about the selection of his successor. "It's the business," he says of Adelman's firing.
"You always have to change. Whatever he (Eric Musselman) wants me to do, I'm really looking forward to it," Miller added. "He wants to run more, and I like that. Let's just go out and win some ... games. Let's get back to playing the way we used to."
About the writer: Reach Ailene Voisin at (916) 321-1208 or avoisin@sacbee.com
Ailene Voisin: Miller uses past woes to wow at U.S. camp
By Ailene Voisin -- Bee Sports Columnist
Published 12:01 am PDT Tuesday, July 25, 2006
LAS VEGAS -- The city council recently passed an ordinance making it a crime to feed the homeless in city parks. The mayor who once defended mob bosses has proposed chopping off the thumbs of local graffiti artists. The high school gyms are overpopulated with the usual flesh peddlers (agents, runners, sneaker executives) attending the annual high-profile prep basketball tournaments.
Yep, this is the perfect place for Brad Miller right now.
He can get lost in the shuffle while playing straight man to the stars.
He can perform at his slimmed-down, understated best -- tossing crisp passes, converting occasional jumpers, flexing for jarring screens, complementing his more celebrated teammates -- with the understanding that his participation during these U.S. national team trials is accomplishing two things: It is taking him a step closer to China for the 2008 Summer Olympics and provides further distance from his miserable 2006 Kings postseason. In other words, he will leave here a winner, one way or another.
"I took losing that series to the Spurs really hard," Miller said slowly, his voice barely above a whisper, hours before he was expected to be named to the 15-man USA touring roster. "Plus, I played like (crap)."
This is your basic guy with the classic below-the-rim floor game.
Put him on a playground and he loses a footrace against himself.
Yet send him into a gym with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Shawn Marion, among others, surround him with talented, athletic and unselfish teammates, and his game grows by leaps and leaps. The crisp, timely bounce passes. The smooth stroke from the wings.
The arms and elbows that flail when necessary, when there is a big body to dislodge or a critical rebound to be collected. The individual stats that stretch into double digits almost as an afterthought.
So, it turns out that despite the awful posteason and erratic regular season, Miller, 30, hasn't forgotten everything he knew about the game after all. Attribute his slump to a protracted senior moment and an offensive system that routinely consisted of one ball, one pass and one very large crowd in the low post.
While he is incapable of recreating the old days -- "Our chemistry was incredible back then," he said wistfully, referring to 2003-04 Kings team that featured fellow starters Vlade Divac, Mike Bibby, Doug Christie and Peja Stojakovic -- he has dusted off his considerable skills, dropped some soft upper-body tissue and, by reclaiming some of his former feistiness, earned that second look from USA Basketball coaches and officials. During today's 10:30 a.m. news conference at the Wynn hotel/casino, Miller is expected to survive coach Mike Krzyzewski's opening round of cuts.
"It's been interesting trying to watch Brad play denial defense," cracked Krzyzewski, with a wry grin, after Monday's practice at UNLV's Cox Pavilion, "and he's trying to do that. He's actually stepping in better. I told him we were creating this defensive monster, and he said, 'I'm not sure about that, coach.' But, I mean, he's just 30. He's playing a little bit different, but that's not a bad thing."
Getting into better shape this early in the offseason was a start, and a dramatic departure from the past. Miller has never been one of those NBA stars who escapes the heat by frequenting the gym. He typically breaks a sweat while seated on his boat, with fishing pole in hand. Yet motivated both by his disappointing postseason and his desire to make the national team that is preparing for next month's world championships in Japan, he has shed almost 10 pounds from his 255-pound frame -- clearly a wise decision. He is noticeably leaner and lighter on his feet. The only 7-footer in camp, he is active, physical, engaged. There has been no standing off to the side, deferring to teammates.
"I want to be a faster Vlade," he said half-jokingly. "I played that whole year (2003-04) at about 240 to 245 pounds, and it was my best season. That was the best team I'd ever played on. Then Webb (Chris Webber) comes back ... you never know.
"It's hard to find that great team chemistry. That's what makes it so special. That's why playing on this (USA) team has been so much fun."
Seated against the stands after practice, Miller, minus his familiar headband, seems genuinely invigorated and intrigued by the Kings' offseason. He is lobbying Geoff Petrie to add depth at power forward or center. He mentions the acquisition of John Salmons and predicts the departure of Bonzi Wells. He is monitoring the arena situation and allows that he was neither surprised by Rick Adelman's ouster nor displeased about the selection of his successor. "It's the business," he says of Adelman's firing.
"You always have to change. Whatever he (Eric Musselman) wants me to do, I'm really looking forward to it," Miller added. "He wants to run more, and I like that. Let's just go out and win some ... games. Let's get back to playing the way we used to."
About the writer: Reach Ailene Voisin at (916) 321-1208 or avoisin@sacbee.com
