That's Andre

Read this profile of Andre Miller on Grantland.com, as well as this commentary on game 4 between the Wizards and the Pacers in the USA Today.

Professor Passed

Andre Miller has passed the first round of the playoffs! For the first time in his career, the Professor has passed the test! He helped the young Wizards win the first game against the Bulls, and they helped him get beyond round one!

First Action

Andre Miller saw his first action in 2014 after being traded to Washington. He played 16 minutes and scored five points in a victory over New Orleans. Miller provides veteran depth and leadership behind young starters John Wall and Bradley Beal. Washington wasn't getting enough production from Eric Maynor, who was sent to Philadelphia along with two second round picks. The Wizards also parted ways with Jan Vesely, the #6 pick in the 2011 draft, sending the forward to Denver.

The move reunites Miller with three former teammates: Al Harrington, Nene (out six weeks with an injury), and Martell Webster. He shouldn't have much friction with his new coach, since Randy Wittman was his coach in Cleveland his first two seasons. Miller could end his career with the same coach he started with.

Andrew Bogut saw his first action in 20 days, as he returned from a shoulder injury. He played 29 minutes and scored 4 points in a victory over Detroit today. Golden State is currently in sixth place in the West; Washington is fifth in the East. If Andre and Andrew meet in the playoffs this year it won't be in the first round!

DNP

One wouldn't think there are many firsts left in Andre Miller's extended career, but he got one against Philadelphia last week: his first did not play - coach's decision. Miller didn't take it sitting down, confronting his coach on the sideline. As a result he was suspended two games for conduct detrimental to the team. The suspension was later rescinded, but Miller remained away from the team on personal leave. He was allowed to return to the team on Monday, but missed practice that day and a game the next day. Miller was well regarded by former coach George Karl, but saw his minutes reduced for three games before being dropped from the rotation entirely by new coach Brian Shaw. It would not appear that Miller will finish his career in Denver after all. There is some speculation that he could be traded to Golden State, where he would reunite with Andre Iguodala. He would also be on the same team as Andrew Bogut, which would be ideal for Utah fans!

Andrew's Answer

Andrew Bogut signed a contract extension with the Golden State Warriors yesterday. That answered the question posed by Zach Lowe of Grantland.com in an excellent article on October 17th. How does the deal compare with Lowe's predictions? The team and the player wanted to have the deal done prior to the start of the season; they reached an agreement the day after the preseason wrapped up. Under the new collective bargaining agreement Bogut's extension could run for three years at the most; it's reported to be a three year deal. Lowe set the baseline at $24 million and the ceiling at $45 million, but stated finding the middle ground would be tricky. ESPN.com reports that the Warriors are giving Bogut $36 million plus another $6 million in incentives. If the Warriors had allowed Bogut to explore free agency he would have taken the best offer, leaving Golden State to go after the likes of Marcin Gortat and Emeka Okafor, two players who just swapped teams. Lowe was of the opinion that Golden State needs Bogut's defense at the rim to succeed, which seems prescient according to the comments made by general manager Bob Myers. If Bogut's free throw shooting was as accurate as Lowe's analysis, he would be a real asset down the stretch!   

Denied

Andrew Bogut and the Golden State Warriors denied Andre Miller and the Denver Nuggets from advancing past the first round of the NBA playoffs yet again. Bogut came up big in game 6 Thursday night with 14 points, 21 rebounds, and 4 blocks. That's the best playoff performance of his career and a season high as he works his way back from ankle problems.

Stephen Curry also battled ankle problems in the series, and David Lee made a surprise return after hurting his hip. Rookie Draymond Green, who was beaten by Miller in game one, posted a career high 16 points and 10 rebounds in the clinching game. Miller hasn't been a factor in the series since his game winner in the first game; he shot just 3-12 in the last game. Bogut shot 7-10 from the floor and added 3 assists and 1 steal to his impressive numbers.

Golden State moves on to play San Antonio tonight, while Denver must move on after another disappointing early exit.

What Will He Do Next?

On Saturday Andre Miller hit the first game-winning shot of his long career! The cagey veteran point guard poured in 18 of his game-high 28 points in the fourth quarter, capped off by a deft maneuver to get by Draymond Green for a layup with 1.3 seconds left to beat Golden State, 97-95, in the first game of the playoffs. Miller hasn't missed many games in his 13 seasons in the NBA, but this was the first time he personally put in the game-winner. Maybe this will be the year when he finally advances to the second round!

The flipside of his success is that it comes at the expense of Andrew Bogut. He's been slowed by a bone bruise in his surgically-repaired ankle, but he put up a big effort in the absence of David Lee (out with a hip flexor). Bogut had 9 points, 14 rebounds, 4 blocks, 3 assists, and a steal for the Warriors. Game two is Tuesday night.

No Signs of Stopping

High Five and Happy Birthday!

The Denver Nuggets extended their winning streak to 13 games by beating the Oklahoma City Thunder, 114-104. Six players scored in double figures, including Andre Miller, who had 20. He also had 9 assists and 7 rebounds, and oh-did-we-mention he did it on his 37th birthday! In the previous game, a 119-118 win at Chicago, he had 13 assists. The venerable vet shows no signs of stopping!

Andrew Bogut is just getting going for Golden State. On Sunday he had 12 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 blocks in a 108-78 trouncing of Houston; he followed that up with 8 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 blocks in a 93-72 blow out of New Orleans. The most encouraging numbers were his minutes: 33 and 30 on back-to-back nights. He's getting back in the thick of it, and in the nick of time.

Denver and Golden State are 5th and 6th respectively in the Western Conference with 13 games remaining in the regular season.

Golden Gates

Is that Leonidas at the Hot Gates? No, wait - it's Andrew Bogut playing for Golden State! Bogut returned to the starting line up last night, and his teammates were glad to see him. 2, 4, 8, 12, who do we appreciate? Bogut! That was his stat line: 2 assists, 4 blocks, 8 rebounds, and 12 points (on 6-8 shooting) in 24 minutes. His impact goes beyond the numbers; according to his coach, Bogut "completes [the Warriors] as a team." David Lee said he was a better defender with Bogut covering his back. That's the warrior's way, using your shield to cover the man next to you!

Golden State beat Toronto on the road, 114-102. Bogut likely won't play tonight at Cleveland, as he will skip back-to-back games until after the All-Star break. His playing time will also be limited as he returns from ankle surgery, but last night he showed some explosiveness on a couple of dunks. Good to see him back on the court before March!

As for the All-Star festivities, this is what Grantland's Zach Lowe said about Andre Miller in his most entertaining all-stars article:

G Dr. Andre Miller, PhD, Point Guard University
Miller is the reason every NBA fan needs to invest in DVR — and not even because of the lob passes, long the best in the business, and propping up JaVale McGee's career for the last year. It is astonishing what Professor Miller can see in real time, with nine other guys darting around a crowded court.
He is always two steps ahead of opponents and teammates, in ways that are easy to miss on first watch. But when you slow down the tape, you can see Miller doing this kind of calculation: "If I pause mid-dribble, hesitate, and then take one extra dribble into the paint, Defender A will shift to Spot X, which allows Teammate B to get open in Spot Y, which in turn will draw Defender B, which in turn will free Teammate C who likely has no idea what is about to happen." It is like a perfect geometric proof during an NBA game.
Toss in one of the best little guy, ass-first post games, and I'm sold. Miller can't really defend anymore, and Denver has to hide him on the weakest offensive player at all times, but this list is about pure entertainment.

Eight Greats

(AP) Despite the loss, it was a big night for the usually modest Andre Miller, who scored the 15,000th point of his career on a mid-range jumper in the first quarter. He became only the eighth player to reach that scoring plateau while also compiling 7,500 career assists. Oscar Robertson, Gary Payton, John Stockton, Isiah Thomas, Magic Johnson, Jason Kidd and Steve Nash also accomplished the feat.

In typical Miller fashion, the 36-year-old downplayed the approaching milestone before the game.
"A big individual accomplishment ... I try not to dwell on it,'' said Miller, who finished with 11 points and 10 assists. "I never even thought about it. It's good to get it over with.''

Miller started the game in place of Ty Lawson, who's still recovering from a strained left Achilles tendon.

Good as Gold

Andre Miller was golden for the Nuggets on Friday night against the Grizzlies. He scored 10 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter, going 4-for-4 on free throws in the final 10 seconds. Miller was 6-of-10 from the field and 6-for-6 from the line; he also had 4 assists and 2 rebounds. The crafty vet made a sick pump fake on the right block that sent two Memphis defenders flying by and opened the lane for an easy two. Denver defeated Memphis, 99-94.

Not So Fast

Andre Miller may not be so fast these days, but watch him go up high to deny Derrick Favors the dunk! Miller tells the 6'10" Favors "Not so fast, youngster!"

Andrew Bogut has put the brakes on his comeback from an ankle injury. He had been limited to 18 minutes per game, with back-to-back games off, but he is out of action once more while he tries to build up the strength he needs to play effectively.

Changing of the Guard

This off-season has seen some veteran point guards change teams, with Steve Nash getting traded from the Suns to the Lakers and Jason Kidd leaving the Mavericks to join the Knicks. The Jazz traded their most recent point guard to the Hawks and brought back previous point man Mo Williams. But one wily veteran who has played for multiple teams is staying put: Andre Miller re-signed with the Denver Nuggets. Miller has made Denver his home since his first stint with the team, so he was willing to stay and the team welcomed him back. Miller led the team with 6.7 assists per game while playing with the second unit, and Coach Karl considers his leadership a tremendous asset to a young Nuggets team. Miller is 36 and played in all 66 games last season, despite separating his shoulder; in 13 seasons he has only missed 4 games due to injury. Denver has enough confidence in his durability to sign him to a multi-year contract on the first day of free agency.

It's not the off-season for the WNBA, where Leilani Mitchell starts at point guard for the New York Liberty (6-11). Mitchell is averaging 8.3 points and 3.3 assists in 29.5 minutes per game (second-highest on the team). Off the court Mitchell has been matched up with star point guard Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls.

24 for 24

#24 led the Nuggets with 24 points last night, extending their first round series to game six. Miller shot 8-11 from the field, 2-2 from behind the arc, and 6-6 from the foul line in a highly efficient performance. #24 also scored 43 points for the Lakers, but took 32 shots to get there. In addition to making two clutch free throws at the end of the game Miller had 8 assists, including the requisite lob to Javale McGee. Still as precise as it was when he was throwing it to Keith Van Horn in the Huntsman Center!

All-Time Andre

Chalk up another 12 assists for Andre Miller, who cracked the Top Ten All-Time! Miller now has 7,398 assists in his career, passing Maurice Cheeks (in 66 fewer games played) for tenth. He's got another 589 assists to catch up to Rod Strickland at ninth; at his current average of 6.4 apg that will take another full-length season plus. Two other active players are in the top ten: Jason Kidd at #2 and Steve Nash at #6. The closest active player behind Miller is Baron Davis at #29. View the full ranking at NBA.com.

Cold Shoulder

After a secretive flirtation with Peyton Manning went nowhere, the 49ers turned back to their steady, re-signing Alex Smith. It's a three year commitment (less than Manning got from Denver) at $8 million per year (far less than Manning got). When Smith found out the Niners were two-timing him in negotiations he went to Miami for a little side action of his own, but in the end he got back together with the only NFL team he's ever known.

Andre Miller has been an iron journeyman in his NBA career, but a shoulder injury has sidelined him for the time being. Miller was hurt when a Dallas defender came down hard on his shoulder in Monday's game. Miller did not return to the game, and is expected to miss at least tonight's game with the Pistons.

UPDATE:

With the left hand

Andre did not miss the game against Detroit, although he did miss both shot attempts, as he was hampered by the sore shoulder. He still contributed 7 assists (including this lob to JaVale McGee) and 6 rebounds in Denver's 116-115 victory. On Friday night he shot the ball better, going 4-8 from the floor, 1-2 on threes, and 5-5 on free throws. Miller scored 14 points, passed for 6 assists (with another fancy feed to McGee), and grabbed 2 rebounds in Denver's 102-121 loss to Utah.

Coach Karl had this to say about his point guard:
"He’s the best. I don’t think there’s any question that, mentally, we would not be where we are without Andre Miller. His leadership, his veteran-ism. To do what he does on the basketball court ... he has [so] much impact on games." (Salt Lake Tribune)

Buck Stops Here

Milwaukee has lost patience with oft-injured center Andrew Bogut, trading away the former #1 pick to Golden State in exchange for guard Monta Ellis. The deal also enabled the Bucks to unload the unhappy Stephen Jackson on his former team in a two-for-three deal; Milwaukee will receive forward Ekpe Udoh and center Kwame Brown, another former #1 pick, in exchange. These two teams will face each other on Friday, but Bogut will not be in the line up for the Warriors any time soon, as he is still recovering from a broken ankle.

This move reunites both of Utah's #1 picks in the Bay Area, assuming Alex Smith re-signs with the 49ers. They didn't play in the PAC-12 as Utes, but there is a distinct West Coast feel to this development!

Bad Luck Buck

Bogut leaving the court in the first quarter.

Andrew Bogut suffered another injury Wednesday, fracturing his left ankle when he landed on another player's foot. Bogut had three points, four rebounds, and three blocks in the first quarter of his 400th career game; it was an attempt to block a 4th shot that brought the big man down. Bogut plays hard around the rim - he just doesn't stick the landings. He is out indefinitely, and may miss the rest of the compressed season. Hopefully the baller is back on his feet soon.

It's Miller (Over) Time

Andre on the spot.

Andre Miller led one of his former teams (Denver) into the arena of one of his other former teams (Philadelphia) last night, coming off the bench and coming away with the win in overtime. It was Philly's first home loss of the season, and it was apparent that Miller felt comfortable playing in his former venue. He shot 12-20 from the field, 3-4 from behind the arc, and 1-2 at the stripe for a season-high 28 points. Miller also had 10 assists, 8 rebounds, and 2 steals. Andre made the plays when it mattered most, hitting a driving jump shot with 7.9 seconds left in regulation to put Denver up one; after a 76ers free throw tied the score, he missed a 3 at the buzzer (his only missed 3 of the night). In overtime, Miller once again hit the Nuggets' final bucket to put them ahead 106-104, and then made the steal to seal it. Denver got two more free throws for a 108-104 victory, thanks to 'Dre!

He's Back, and This Time it's Personal

Buck to the bucket.

Actually it was personal reasons that caused Andrew Bogut to miss four games, but he's back from Aussie land. In his return he scored 14 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and dished out 3 assists to help the Bucks beat the Spurs, 106-103.

Andre Miller stepped in to the starter role when Ty Lawson wasn't able to go against the Nets and had one of his better games this season. Miller put up a dozen points and a dozen assists against Deron Williams (16 and 13, respectively), as Denver outscored New Jersey, 123-115. The Nuggets are 7-4, good for 5th place in the West, whereas the Bucks are 3-6 (with Bogut missing nearly half of those games), landing them in 11th place in the East.