Andre Miller's Future with the Sixers

A decision about Andre Miller's future is fast approaching and and how it plays out will be crucial to the development of the Sixers. Miller becomes a free agent at the end of the season so the Sixers have at least three options: trade him before the trading deadline next month to get something for him; negotiate a contract extension; wait until the end of the season and try to resign him.

What complicates the issue is that Miller is so darn good. Playing out west for so long, he really didn't get that much exposure around the country nor is he flamboyant or media-centric. Charles Barkley he is not. But we now know this guy is one of the very best point guards around. He is durable, having never played less than 80 games in a season. He is smart, unselfish and, what probably has been most surprising, he is a terrific scorer. He penetrates, can finish and draw fouls. And his outside shot is deceptively effective. In the latter case, he is reminiscent of great point guards such as John Stockton and Magic Johnson. They were not pure shooters but they could make the shot often enough to keep you honest, especially in the clutch.

Miller may be the most important player on the Sixer squad right now. Of late, he has been no less than brilliant. True, his age is a consideration but he should be able to perform at a high level for at least three more years. Unfortunately, the Sixers have a limited number of strings to pull. We don't know if Miller wants to stay in Philadelphia. He has implied in the past that he would be more comfortable on the West Coast. And the fact that the team has been so disappointing this year can't be helping. But it's abundantly clear that if the Sixers lose Andre Miller it would be a major setback. He is irreplaceable.

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.