Whats up with Brad Miller?

#1
I used to love him. He had an awesome outside shot, was good at getting tough 3 point plays, passes well, and at least attempted to get down and dirty under the rim.

This year its almost like hes out of his league. He can still pass and shoot, but he looks so weak and soft in the paint. Hes like a 7'0 Mike Bibby. Is the intensity just not there or does he seriously need to get in the weight room and put on 20lbs of muscle? When you are the center and you're 3rd on the team in rebounding, something needs to change. If Brad doesn't start upping his intensity and bring down at least 9 reb's a game, the Kings are gonna be in trouble when we play the top 5 Western Conference teams.
 
#2
Well Brad made the announcement after the playoffs last year that he needed to get stronger. He said he was gonna hit the weights in the off-season so he would not get banged around. Guess he decided to hit the light beer instead.

I was really disappointed to see Brad come into camp with not one ounce of weight or muscle added. Oh well. Guess he'll get tossed around this year by the bigger boys again.
 
#3
I think Brad is also hurt by the absense of Webber. He really seemed to play off of Webber. Yes, he was ok after the trade, but still, I think this has something to do with it.
 
#5
To be fair, Brad did well with Vlade as well.

QueensFan said:
I think Brad is also hurt by the absense of Webber. He really seemed to play off of Webber. Yes, he was ok after the trade, but still, I think this has something to do with it.
 
#8
QueensFan said:
I think Brad is also hurt by the absense of Webber. He really seemed to play off of Webber. Yes, he was ok after the trade, but still, I think this has something to do with it.
When Webber was out in 2003, Miller played his best basketball. In fact, the Kings as a team were blowing away everyone until Webber returned. Then the chemistry didn't work and the rest is history........

I think Brad's injury at the end of last year still affects him either physcally or mentally. He seems very tentative in the paint. I say give him a few more games to get acclimated with the new players and whatever it is RA is trying to do. As a team, I think all of the giuys are still trying to figure out RA's scheme.......in fact, so am I. But I'm willing to give this team some time to get it together.
 
#9
flipnsac said:
When Webber was out in 2003, Miller played his best basketball. In fact, the Kings as a team were blowing away everyone until Webber returned. Then the chemistry didn't work and the rest is history........

I think Brad's injury at the end of last year still affects him either physcally or mentally. He seems very tentative in the paint. I say give him a few more games to get acclimated with the new players and whatever it is RA is trying to do. As a team, I think all of the giuys are still trying to figure out RA's scheme.......in fact, so am I. But I'm willing to give this team some time to get it together.
True - but they had Vlade then who as someone mentioned above, I forgot to include in my original post - the point is Brad just doesn't seem like a legit "lone bigman."
 

Bricklayer

Don't Make Me Use The Bat
#10
Brad definitely hit his peak for us when playing PF next to Vlade. He and Webb worked ok togetehr last year, but I was already complaining all year that Brad simply looked overmatched at center defensively and wasn't rebounding LAST year. Now this year he's down to 6.4rebs and 0.4blks in 34.5 min? That's just awful. At this point Bonzi Wells is pretty much the only thing standing between our frontline and complete annihilation inside.

Been a lot of speculation about Brad -- but this has been my guess for a long time: I think Brad is a follower, and I think Brad feeds off of the guys around him. When Brad was "tough" he was paired/teamed with Charles Oakley and Jermaine O'Neal and Ron Artest. And playing alongside those guys suddenly Brad became tougher and braver. Now stick him alongside Peja Stojakovic and Shareef Abdur-Rahim and all of a sudden he becomes softer and softest.
 
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HndsmCelt

Hall of Famer
#11
Sorry i have to disagree, while Brad may not be "filling the stat sheet" he has done as well as any other starter over all and in the games where thee Offense worked (Jazz and Pheonix) it was beceause of the way he was running it. Is he going to "lead the team" not really but as long as he can run the offense, box out for Reef and Bonzi and spread the floor with out side shooting Im' cool with keeping him.
 

Bricklayer

Don't Make Me Use The Bat
#12
HndsmCelt said:
Sorry i have to disagree, while Brad may not be "filling the stat sheet" he has done as well as any other starter over all and in the games where thee Offense worked (Jazz and Pheonix) it was beceause of the way he was running it. Is he going to "lead the team" not really but as long as he can run the offense, box out for Reef and Bonzi and spread the floor with out side shooting Im' cool with keeping him.
While Brad has stepepd forward several times on offense, we can't win if the rebounding and interior defense remain pathetic. Just cannot. If he were to average 6.4rebs and 0.4blks over the whole season it would be an utter disaster and put us in real danger of ending up in the lottery. He's not getting it done in the areas where you just have to as a big man. Especially as our ONLY big man.
 
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#13
Well, I'd be alot tougher if Charles Oakley had my back too. I might even be "fist fight w/ Shaq" tough. Didn't Oakley have a standing, no-joke death threat against someone over a card game until Stern got involved?
 
#14
I happen to agree with those that say it's the MATCHUPS.

ie, the opponent is athletic, quicker, above average jumping ability, bangs the boards, plays decent one-on-one D, and let's Brad shoot his jumper until he's able to hit it consistently .... Brad is going to struggle.

I agree somewhat with what Brick is saying ... Brad is not "bringing" the game he's capable of or once was capable of doing in past offensive schemes (at times, there would be 2 and 3 big men on the floor in the past) ... Brad is getting out-matched (if that's a word).

With that said .... Brad will find a way to improve the King's on both ends.
 
#15
I think Brad is more of a PF in this league then a C. Look at Memo Okur, as a C he has been, well, nothing special. But at PF his size can make up for his lack of athleticism. Same goes for Brad. Plus as a C, you are the last line of defense in which Brad certainly isn't the best in.
 

HndsmCelt

Hall of Famer
#16
Bricklayer said:
While Brad has stepepd forward several times on offense, we can't win if the rebounding and interior defense remain pathetic. Just cannot. If he were to average 6.4rebs and 0.4blks over the whole season it would be an utter disaster and put us in real danger of ending up in the lottery. He's not getting it done in the areas where you just have to as a big man. Especially as our ONLY big man.
I think Reef and Skinner can help with the interior D AND I would hope Brad can step up a bit in that department as well. Same with his boards. My point was NOT that his is just fine the way he but rather that he is NOT the bigest problem in the starting 5. Moreover any talk of trading/replacing him really needs to adress what the offense is loseing in said trade.
 
#17
Maybe he's trying to pace himself this season, as he always seems to break down. Year 1 he was trying to make a good impression. Year 2 he felt the mantle had been passed. Year 3, eh -- wait for the playoffs.
 
#18
point taken very well ESP47. no way our starting center (an all-star in previous years) should be 3rd on the team in rebounds per game.