The Importance of Andre Miller

Andre Miller, the Sixers' point guard, got off to a slow start this year. His scoring, shooting percentage and assists were all down from last year and he seemed somewhat tentative, perhaps due to uncertainty about how to integrate Elton Brand into the offense. In at least the last two games, however, there has been a change. He seemed more assertive, more aggressive. He was offensive-minded, driving as well as shooting from the outside. His shot attempts were up but so were his shooting percentage and total points - he scored well over 20 points against both the Bulls and Lakers, whereas he had only been averaging about 13 ppg prior to that.

At first blush, this might be somewhat concerning. Shouldn't Miller's priority be distributing the ball on a team with a fair amount of firepower, particularly with the addition of another proven scorer in Brand? Not necessarily. Andre recognizes that he needs to be less passive to keep the defense honest and open up the passing lanes. During last year's stretch run, Miller was also hardly shy about going hard to the hoop or taking his mid-range shot, and his team thrived. His outside stroke will never be confused with that of Kyle Korver, and Miller's range is limited, but he does have a knack for hitting it in clutch situations. Yes, he does take some ill-advised shots and occasionally forces some passes; sometimes he dribbles too much. But the vast majority of the time, he makes good decisions. If the Sixers are to get back on track this season, in his quiet way Andre Miller is going to have to provide the leadership and the grease for the Sixers' offense, both off the fast break and in the half court. He makes Iguodala, Young, Brand, and Dalembert better, not the other way around.