Could Mike Miller be the key?

[the_Bird]

The only way Mike Miller puts the Celtics over the top is if he has a breakout year and makes the All-Star team (basically replacing Ray's production and then some).

  Not really.If Ray comes back and we bring in Miller (or someone) then we'd really be upgrading our backup wing position (about 25 mins a game).

I'm thinking I'd like Miller playing more like 32-35 minutes.  Let Ray Allen and Paul Piece average less than 30 (especially on the second night of back-to-backs), let them save their legs for the playoffs.  I see Mike Miller as being a real sixth-starter type.

Miller doesn't need to be an All-Star, he just needs to be able to play effectively enough to keep our two future Hall of Fame wings fresh for when the games start counting.

[Arok325]

Miller is a chump.  He's slower than Ray Allen!  Why are people prolonging the inevitable with this team (rebuilding effort)?  This team needs to take the exact opposite strategy as signing guys like Mike Miller.

[the_Bird]

Miller is a chump.  He's slower than Ray Allen!  Why are people prolonging the inevitable with this team (rebuilding effort)?  This team needs to take the exact opposite strategy as signing guys like Mike Miller.

Dude.  We were five points (or six minutes) from winning the title this year.  We beat two of the league's three best teams on the way to the Finals.  Why blow it up now?  We're still as close to a championship contender as we can realistically expect to be.  Yuo don't get these opportunities too often.

Give it one more go-'round before the rebuilding starts.  Don't be stupid and start selling draft picks, we need to start infusing some young talent on the team (would love to see them buy whatever picks are for sale), but don't skimp on using the MLE on a solid veteran player that's still in his prime.

Bring in guys like Mike Miller who can stay on the court long enough to keep Pierce and Ray Allen fresh, so our best players can stay our best players.

The rebuild can't realistically start until KG's contract is off the books in 2012, so what would you rather do for the next two seasons?  Tank for draft picks, or make one last run?

[DivingCowens]

Screw Miller.  He is the essential "I could have been great but I will never reach my potential" guy.  This is coming from a Gator who watched Miller closely during his time in college.  If we want a Gator, we need a different one.

The real key would be DAVID LEE!  Give us the rebounding help we need along with someone who can actually score on the post.  Rajon and him could be magical working a high-low game.  I know we probably can't afford him, but if we lose or pay Ray less, then PP restructures, this is the guy I would want us to go after, not James, Bosh, Wade, or anyone else.

[wdleehi]

Screw Miller.  He is the essential "I could have been great but I will never reach my potential" guy.  This is coming from a Gator who watched Miller closely during his time in college.  If we want a Gator, we need a different one.

The real key would be DAVID LEE!  Give us the rebounding help we need along with someone who can actually score on the post.  Rajon and him could be magical working a high-low game.  I know we probably can't afford him, but if we lose or pay Ray less, then PP restructures, this is the guy I would want us to go after, not James, Bosh, Wade, or anyone else.

No way to have enough cap room to sign Lee.


Plus, I think he is going to be overpayed.  He is a good player, but his number could very well be inflated being the only big man on the Knicks.

[snively]

Screw Miller.  He is the essential "I could have been great but I will never reach my potential" guy.  This is coming from a Gator who watched Miller closely during his time in college.  If we want a Gator, we need a different one.

The real key would be DAVID LEE!  Give us the rebounding help we need along with someone who can actually score on the post.  Rajon and him could be magical working a high-low game.  I know we probably can't afford him, but if we lose or pay Ray less, then PP restructures, this is the guy I would want us to go after, not James, Bosh, Wade, or anyone else.

Lee is way out of our range.

Miller wouldn't need to be great for us.  He'd just need to continue his phenomenal outside shooting, remarkable rebounding and solid secondary playmaking.  Ray/Miller would be a fantastic 1/2 punch for the Celtics offense for at least next year.

[wahz]

Miller would always guard the lesser offensive player at Sg or small forward. He'd have been on Artest.  Hed have created a huge mismatch on the other end. He would not be on Kobe. We would have rebounded better, our d wouldn't have lost anything or very little and instead of always having a tired shooter in we would have always had a fresh shooter. Game over.

And yes its true that getting a big rebounder matters even more as we'd have gotten more transition buckets. We have to try to do both of these things if we are going to be clearly better

[CFAN38]

We made it so close this season that I think we are still in it for next year. With all the potential changes to the east Bosh, wade, lebron, the knicks a window should be there for the celtics to make the finals again.

Mike Miller would be a great fit on the bench giving us another vet scoring option when paul and ray(if resigned) slump.

I would like to see the Cs keep the starting 5 together. Let nate go and add a bigger combo guard (Jordan Crawford / Dom Jones) -keep TA - add Mike Miller - more minutes for BBD - a longer more athletic center (no idea who)

[Arok325]

I think you, as well as everyone else, are overestimating the ability of this celtics squad next year.  I'd like to believe that they could go on a run like this again next year but I just don't see it happening.  Age can be a fickle thing.  Ray proved to me that he still has something left but who knows how much longer he can keep it up.  His legs were already dead at the end of last season.  

Garnett is an unfortunate situation because we're still stuck with him for he next two years.  He played some good defense throughout the postseason but I really think his production trailed off in the Finals.  He's one more leg strain away from having his career ended.

Pierce is the man I'll give you that.  But let's be realistic about him too.  He's no franchise player anymore.  He had a fantastic postseason but I can't help but heap some of this blown Finals on his shoulders. He really didn't step up for a good portion of series.  I'm sure he'll be back next season but I'll be honest if this was a team option coming up instead of a player option I would consider not exercising it.

As for tanking, I agree that it would be pointless to blow it all up right now but we might as well get younger rather than older.  Guys like Miller don't do it for me.  Even David Lee, who I saw recommended by some other guy, wouldn't be the answer.  I actually think Lee is one of the most overrated players in the league.  

It's an interesting situation.

Miller is a chump.  He's slower than Ray Allen!  Why are people prolonging the inevitable with this team (rebuilding effort)?  This team needs to take the exact opposite strategy as signing guys like Mike Miller.

Dude.  We were five points (or six minutes) from winning the title this year.  We beat two of the league's three best teams on the way to the Finals.  Why blow it up now?  We're still as close to a championship contender as we can realistically expect to be.  Yuo don't get these opportunities too often.

Give it one more go-'round before the rebuilding starts.  Don't be stupid and start selling draft picks, we need to start infusing some young talent on the team (would love to see them buy whatever picks are for sale), but don't skimp on using the MLE on a solid veteran player that's still in his prime.

Bring in guys like Mike Miller who can stay on the court long enough to keep Pierce and Ray Allen fresh, so our best players can stay our best players.

The rebuild can't realistically start until KG's contract is off the books in 2012, so what would you rather do for the next two seasons?  Tank for draft picks, or make one last run?

[Arok325]

On a further note I would like to contend that Mike Miller would be the second coming of Marquis Daniels. 

Miller
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3404

Daniels
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3764/career;_ylt=AjCl5BR04zJEdk9Z7UoOo27qPKB4

Looking at their stats from this past year for Miller and the year before Daniels signed with the C's I would like to point out that they are very similar production wise, albeit with different play styles.

Both averaged a little over 10ppg with over 30 mpg of play time.  Miller is a little more efficient in terms of shooting percentages and he is a legitimate threat from 3pt land however over 2 to per game makes me hesitate.  We're already poor in that regard and he certainly won't help.  I don't know.  I'm not sold on this guy.

[kozlodoev]

On a further note I would like to contend that Mike Miller would be the second coming of Marquis Daniels. 

Except that Mike Miller was 6th man of the year and is averaging 13 points and 5 rebounds for his career, while shooting .400 from three.

[LarBrd33]

Mike Miller?  heh

[snively]

On a further note I would like to contend that Mike Miller would be the second coming of Marquis Daniels. 

Miller
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3404

Daniels
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3764/career;_ylt=AjCl5BR04zJEdk9Z7UoOo27qPKB4

Looking at their stats from this past year for Miller and the year before Daniels signed with the C's I would like to point out that they are very similar production wise, albeit with different play styles.

Both averaged a little over 10ppg with over 30 mpg of play time.  Miller is a little more efficient in terms of shooting percentages and he is a legitimate threat from 3pt land however over 2 to per game makes me hesitate.  We're already poor in that regard and he certainly won't help.  I don't know.  I'm not sold on this guy.

Miller has followed Daniels into inexplicably low usage rates given their situations (Daniels was asked to be the primary playmaker for the Boston bench; Miller has played for two straight teams in which he probably should have been the 2nd or 3rd option offensively but stuck to the background).  Unlike Daniels, however, Miller has the tools to thrive as a low usage player.

He had an absurd 60% eFG% this season, the third such mark of his career. For reference, Ray had his career best eFG% in 08-09 with 58%.  Miller is also a phenomenal rebounder at the wing (he's been pulling down about 7 per game for 3 straight seasons: comparable to LeBron) and a very good passer.

Daniels on the other hand, was a non-shooter, a poor rebounder at the wing and, other than his nice off-ball movement, couldn't offer much as a scorer/playmaker unless he dominated the ball, which he either decided not to or wasn't allowed to or I guess forgot how to.

[LB3533]

I like Miller and a chance to win a title should be intriguing to a veteran of Miller's ilk.

Why waste his last few years in the league in a rebuilding project?

[BballTim]

On a further note I would like to contend that Mike Miller would be the second coming of Marquis Daniels. 

Miller
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3404

Daniels
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3764/career;_ylt=AjCl5BR04zJEdk9Z7UoOo27qPKB4

Looking at their stats from this past year for Miller and the year before Daniels signed with the C's I would like to point out that they are very similar production wise, albeit with different play styles.

Both averaged a little over 10ppg with over 30 mpg of play time.  Miller is a little more efficient in terms of shooting percentages and he is a legitimate threat from 3pt land however over 2 to per game makes me hesitate.  We're already poor in that regard and he certainly won't help.  I don't know.  I'm not sold on this guy.

  The three point shooting is pretty key, though. And our turnover problem isn't that bad in the playoffs.