<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Not long ago, Mike Miller was the man. Now, he's the 'X' factor. Both roles suit the Grizzlies just fine given his production. It's no coincidence that the Grizzlies have earned their 10 victories with Miller scoring 17 or more points, and the team is 0-15 when he is held under 17. "I'm trying to pick my spots," Miller said, "and be aggressive in spots." Aggressive and efficient describe Miller's game heading into the Grizzlies' contest against the Los Angeles Lakers tonight in FedExForum. Miller is on pace to achieve a career first this season, shooting at least at least 50 percent from the field (51.2 percent), 40 percent from 3-point range (42.9) and 80 percent from the free throw line (82.2). Phoenix's Steve Nash, Washington's Caron Butler and Sacramento's John Salmons are the only other players in the NBA that are matching Miller's accomplishment so far this season. More importantly for the Griz, Miller is stepping up and imposing his will within the framework of head coach Marc Iavaroni's philosophy. Iavaroni insisted the same ingredient applies to every player's offensive success: Running. "The more possessions we have the more shots everybody gets. The more possessions you run, the more looks you're going to get out of it. I just really believe that," Iavaroni said. "The ball finds energy. We don't worry about guys who haven't touched it for a while. We have to remember nobody's tuning them out, and not passing the ball to them. They have to have an attack mentality to get open. If they don't then we have to start running plays for them, and I don't want to go back to that style." Miller has asserted himself over the past three games -- two of which were Grizzly wins -- by averaging 20 points on 57.6 percent shooting, nine rebounds and 4.3 assists. The emergence of rookie Mike Conley at point guard has relieved pressure on Miller to make plays. Miller is a capable ball-handler but he leads the team with 94 turnovers (2.8 tpg), which suggests that he's sometimes just playing too unselfishly and not hoisting enough shots. "We've never said to him good shot, bad shot," Iavaroni said. "We've always said he's doing the right amount or doing too much. He tends to be a do-the-right-amount guy or a do-too-much guy -- and that's when you have those turnover nights." Miller, though, makes no apology for averaging 7.1 rebounds and four assists. He realizes that he can't be the guy who launches shots from all over the court like he did last season on a considerably less-talented team. "My role is different on this team," Miller said. "Rudy's playing a more aggressive role. And then there's Pau. You've got to let those guys do what they do, and then I can find ways to do what I do. It's going to be a process." Sunday against Miami, there was a five-minute stretch that encapsulated Miller's all-round game. He began the run with a 3-pointer, assisted Gasol on jump shot, found Gay for a 3-pointer, connected on another 3-pointer, grabbed his fourth defensive rebound and then converted two of three free throws when he was fouled beyond the arc. "Coach has done a good job of putting me in pick-and-rolls where I can create for other people and get shots off," Miller said. "It's been a collective thing." The Grizzlies are 1-6 when Miller has fewer than 10 shot attempts. In 10 wins this season, Miller makes an average of slightly more than three 3-pointers as opposed to just 1.7 threes in 23 losses. Miller, though, has progressively generated points by dribbling hard to the basket. He converted 12 of 13 free throws against Miami. "You've got to find a way to score," Miller said. "If your shots are not falling, you can get to the hole or to the foul line. Anytime you can get to the foul line when you're struggling offensively as a team, it's going to help." Iavaroni said Miller is taking advantage of the offensive philosophy and punishing defensive schemes. "I love the ball in Mike Miller's hands, especially when he's keeping it real simple and not trying to do too much," Iavaroni said. "He's recognizing that people know he's shooting the three ball pretty well, and he's balancing that out by putting them on their heels. If they switch (on pick-and-rolls) then he's going to the basket. ... In this system, teams should have to make decisions. If they're going to stay with you because of our spacing, they're going to give our bigs room inside. Sometimes the defense dictates (shot attempts) but you shouldn't allow them to dictate by not running." Right now, Miller isn't yielding. "I'm getting there," Miller said. "I feel pretty comfortable."</div> Source: Memphis Commercial Appeal
