What Does Darius Miles Really Bring to this Team?

[RonJohn]

Although I have all of the concerns that everyone on this thread seems to have, I am going to give him the benefit of the doubt for now. KG has the ability to steer players in the right direction. They will just cut him if there is a problem.

[Vermont Green]

Miles has said all of the right things ever since the Celtics have started looking at him.  I see absolutely no reason to believe he is going to be a "cancer".  Whatever issues he may have had in the past, it is very clear he has gotten over them.  He has grown up.  I am shocked people are still clinging to this idea that he is a bad guy or that he could affect this team in some bad way due to his attitude.

Does he want it?  Isn't it clear he wants it more than anything??  I had hand surgery once and had to "rehab" my pinky.  I was amazed at how much work it took to get just one finger to work again.  I can’t even imagine how much work Miles has done.  There is just not a question that he wants it and will be willing to continue to work hard to get a chance to play again.

All of this new found maturity and desire may not help at all if his knee does not hold up structurally but I say open your ears and eyes here on the other stuff.  The only "if" I see is will his knee hold up, and granted that is a really big "if".

So "if" his knee holds up, how good is he?  I think he is plenty good enough for what the Celtics are going to ask him to do.  I will also commit heresy by saying that I think Posey's contribution has been amplified.  For instance, I view Posey as a solid defender (not exceptional or something more than solid) and I think Miles can be a solid defender ("if").  I would like to see our back-up SF have a 3 point shot and Miles doesn't and probably won't suddenly acquire one but I am optimistic and excited to see this guy play and contribute to the team.

[BballTim]

Apparently, from the initial reports of the first practice, a guy that was seriously sucking wind before practice was even half over. If his game was built around his athleticism and not his BBIQ, this does not bode well for Darius Miles. The guy has had two plus years to try to get back into NBA shape and he became worthless before the first practice was half over because he still isn't in NBA shape? Not good!

  I think it's more than a little unfair to expect him to use the two years when he's trying to get his knee to a state where he can even get onto a court getting back into nba shape. If you're Miles, on what's probably your last chance, I'm not sure that you risk a setback in an attempt to be in perfect nba shape at the first practice.

It's unfair, after two and a half years to expect him to come into camp in NBA shape, but it's reasonable to expect a knee doctors have proclaimed will never be in good enough condition to play NBA basketball again, to be able to hold out over a year of NBA basketball when the person using it clearly hasn't used the knee to the degree he will have to to make this team?

If he stood a chance of making this roster, IMHO, he should already have been in excellent cardio-vascular shape and the only question should have been whether the knee would hold up to the stress that NBA level basketball would put on it. Now, instead, we might have to cut someone and suck up paying their contract while they play for someone else, wait until the season is 12% over just to see if he will not only ever be in good enough shape to play but also to see if the knee will last.

I would have preferred, if Danny ends up keeping him on this team, that the only question coming into camp was the long term health and stability of the knee. Now we have to worry if the knee will ever allow him to get in good enough shape as well.

  You might have another source for your info than the globe, but what I read today included:

  "In what might have been the highlight of the practice, Miles caught rookie J.R. Giddens slipping during a backdoor cut in a three-on-three drill and threw down an alley-oop dunk. One Celtics player said Miles ran the floor "well" and "real fast." That player also said Miles's knucklehead reputation seems like a thing of the past so far.

"He looked pretty good," said coach Doc Rivers. "You could tell by mid-practice he was spent."

After being beaten by the first team in a scrimmage, the second team had to run sideline-to-sideline sprints 17 times as punishment. Miles took off quickly and outdistanced the other big men. And since he easily was the first big man to get to eight completed sprints, Rivers gave him the rest of the exercise off."

  I think you're overreacting to Doc's comment and taking it way out of context.

[Mr October]

If Miles is healthy, he brings tremendous energy, speed, length, above the rim play to the team. The C's are going to be getting older and slower. More athleticism isn't a bad thing.

[Mon]

More FTA, Pts, Blocks, and Asts than Posey...that's for sure!

[Goldstar88]

Darius Miles is a player with so much potential and playing in a stable enviorment should bring out the best in him. Darius has never played on a winning team or had any real talent around him. With the Celtics he will have great mentors in the Big 3, and a players coach in Doc.
  Miles stats are puzzling. The Guy has seasons where his FG percent are as high as .526, and as low as .410, Free throw percents of 70%, and then 53%. He even has a season where he shot .348% from behind the arc and then it droped back down to .200% the next year. from a defensive standpoint he should be solid. 6'9'', long arms, possibly the quickest big man on the team. I really think the Celtics will get the best out of him, There is no question that the talent is there.

[Mr October]

Apparently, from the initial reports of the first practice, a guy that was seriously sucking wind before practice was even half over. If his game was built around his athleticism and not his BBIQ, this does not bode well for Darius Miles. The guy has had two plus years to try to get back into NBA shape and he became worthless before the first practice was half over because he still isn't in NBA shape? Not good!

So... I take it you won't be buying a Miles jersey anytime soon?

[GroverTheClover]

Although I have all of the concerns that everyone on this thread seems to have, I am going to give him the benefit of the doubt for now. KG has the ability to steer players in the right direction. They will just cut him if there is a problem.

I'm not picking on you but I've seen similar statements made about KG and his ability to "fix guys" but it's just untrue. KG played with Ricky Davis and Mark Blount on the T-Woloves and never seemed to be able to get them in the "right direction." Let's not lose sight of the post '04 and pre'08 years with KG. I'm not knocking him but people seem to glorify a guy who brought us a championship by saying he has this mystical aura/ability to get guys' heads on right.

[Chris]

Although I have all of the concerns that everyone on this thread seems to have, I am going to give him the benefit of the doubt for now. KG has the ability to steer players in the right direction. They will just cut him if there is a problem.

I'm not picking on you but I've seen similar statements made about KG and his ability to "fix guys" but it's just untrue. KG played with Ricky Davis and Mark Blount on the T-Woloves and never seemed to be able to get them in the "right direction." Let's not lose sight of the post '04 and pre'08 years with KG. I'm not knocking him but people seem to glorify a guy who brought us a championship by saying he has this mystical aura/ability to get guys' heads on right.

I agree that KG can't singlehandedly change players.  However, I think there is an overall core of leaders on this team that can help keep lesser players in line.  The other thing that helps is that Miles doesn't have a guaranteed contract.  The motivation of actually having to earn his way onto the team will also go far, and it will mean that the coach will always hold the hammer (which was not the case in the past), because he can just cut him.

[Sweet17]

No kidding PP should get about as much credit for fixing because Ricky and Blount played better for his teams. <g>

[Sweet17]

Miles is an incredibly underrated defender by this blog. Much like KG he is a good help defender - with great length and quickness.

http://www.82games.com/04POR10D.HTM

Notice how the TEAM without Miles was 3.7 points worse defensively. That's a pretty big swing. How people spin that into being a "bad" defender is beyond me.

http://www.82games.com/03POR11D.HTM

it's the same story in 03 so it's not some one year fluke.

Notice also drops in effective field goal percentage (against) with him out.


Okay if that wasn't enough - Miles is a pretty respectable passer (3.7 assists per 48) BBD and Powe wished they passed like that.

With 2.2 shots blocked per 48 - in his best year Miles is also a far superior shot blocker..

I said it before - and I will say it again. Healthy Miles is a better player then Posey. Maybe not as clutch - or magical for us..

But his help defense, shot blocking and ability to finish around rim make him the better player. Of course coming off an career injury it remains to be seen if he can recapture that ability. But he was a pretty decent NBA player..

Posey had a few warts before coming here as well. So hopefully Miles will undergo a similiar transformation in the eyes of the bloggers.

I have some hopes for Miles. He got caught up in the jailblazers rap - but sometimes people can be brought down by circumstances. Most people don't have a perfect character and thus a bad atmosphere will effect them.

Pete

[cordobes]

Although I have all of the concerns that everyone on this thread seems to have, I am going to give him the benefit of the doubt for now. KG has the ability to steer players in the right direction. They will just cut him if there is a problem.

I'm not picking on you but I've seen similar statements made about KG and his ability to "fix guys" but it's just untrue. KG played with Ricky Davis and Mark Blount on the T-Woloves and never seemed to be able to get them in the "right direction." Let's not lose sight of the post '04 and pre'08 years with KG. I'm not knocking him but people seem to glorify a guy who brought us a championship by saying he has this mystical aura/ability to get guys' heads on right.

I agree that KG can't singlehandedly change players.  However, I think there is an overall core of leaders on this team that can help keep lesser players in line.  The other thing that helps is that Miles doesn't have a guaranteed contract.  The motivation of actually having to earn his way onto the team will also go far, and it will mean that the coach will always hold the hammer (which was not the case in the past), because he can just cut him.

You are both right. I completely agree with Nick and I've tried to make that point before. It's not a hit on KG, it remains true for every other player in the league, Duncans, Jordans, whoever. It's like the mystical powers attributed to our defensive system: yeah, having a local defensive leader like KG helps, having a great defensive coach helps, but that won't turn bad defensive players into good defensive players (only stat-wise). It'll hide their deficiencies to some extent, improve them a little bit, but that's all.

However, as you say, a winning culture and locker room can work wonders for a organization. Having a core of three leaders with great work ethics  is a bless. It won't turn severe cases of laziness, lack of character or lack of heart into dedicated work-horses because those are generally incurable diseases, but may help some guys who are in the fence.   

[2short]

He brings a long body with (great?) athletic ability , a veteran nba player, a changed attitude willing to sacrifice for the better of the team and at this point of his career whatever the team will ask of him.
 
another pint of 'ness please

[2short]

and i forgot to add at a really cheap price!

[KCattheStripe]

A screen credit in "National Lampoon's Van Wilder".