NBA Trade Rumors: Should the Trail Blazers Keep Andre Miller or Get Rid of Him?
Andre Miller: Does he help the Portland Trail Blazers, or does he hurt them?
It's one subject that Blazers fans, and critics, have been debating for the last two years, and unfortunately there is no easy answer. Overall, Miller has been one of the most consistent players on the roster, but at the same time has occasionally struggled to find his role, becoming an easy scapegoat when the team has struggled.
The NBA landscape is changing, but is it still important to have a dominant player at the point guard position?
Interestingly enough, of both teams that have made the NBA Finals, neither Miami nor Dallas really fits that description. Jason Kidd is an all-time great but is well past his prime and the Mike Bibby/Mario Chalmers combo for Miami is average at best.
Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, Deron Williams, Steve Nash, John Wall; The Blazers have coveted getting a point guard of that caliber for years, which is one of the main reasons why Miller has seemingly been on the trading block from the day he arrived.
But does he really deserve all the speculation that has constantly had him involved in trade rumors? Would the team really be better off without him?
Andre Miller will go down as one of the most consistent NBA players of all time. He very rarely misses a game, has a very good chance to finish in the Top 10 all-time NBA assist leaders, and keeps his turnovers down.
His lob passes to LaMarcus Aldridge and Marcus Camby are always on point. His craftiness and experience, along with his ability to take the ball into the post and create his own shot, make him a valuable asset at the end of close games.
In terms of his downside, Miller is not an explosive player. He struggles defensively at times and because of his shaky long range shooting, can disappear offensively when teams are packing the paint.
So, should the Blazers keep him?
Yes, they should. Of easily obtainable point guards, there really aren't any that would be an upgrade for next season, which is the final year on Miller's current deal. The best course would be to acquire a young point guard, either through the draft or trade, and then groom that player to be the starter once Miller retires.
The Blazers will always dream of trading for a Chris Paul or a Steve Nash, and of course if one of them were to become available via trade, then moving him would make sense. But barring that set of unlikely circumstances, Miller is a good enough fit for the Blazers that moving him, just for the sake of moving him, would be a big mistake.
