Nah, I'd probably include Damon even though he was a tiny tot, and before him you've got to recognize Rod Strickland (first tour of duty). Nick Van Exel was good too.
I have not seen Mills enough to form any kind of credible opinion (well, at least credible to me - some people do not find my opinions credible even when I do think they are) - but until proven otherwise - I hope this kid gets all the time in the world to prove he belongs and blows us and the competition away...
Yep, he hit the game winning shot, but prior to that he was 3 - 12 from 3-point range. He constantly lost his man (Foster - who scored a career high 31) on defense. Did Mills have any assists in the 4th quarter of that game? It seemed like every time he touched the ball he launched a shot - and bricked most of them. Its just one game, but it does illustrate his deficiencies on defense and his strong tendency to only look for his own shot. For a guy who isn't a very good 3-point shooter (33%), he takes WAY too many 3-point attempts. If you look at his game log, he had several games where he shot horrible (0-9, 1-9, 1-7, 4-13, 2-9, 2-9, 0-7, 1-10, 4-13) from down town, but just kept chucking them up there. BNM
Go back and re-read the post that started this thread: "One report suggested that Mills needed seasoning and might head "overseas" for a year or two. Nonsense. He's a better point guard than Steve Blake or Jerryd Bayless, and will have proved that by the end of training camp." That is the type of nonsense I'm responding to. I'm just trying to inject a little bit of reality into the expectations for this kid. And since when does expressing an opinion, and backing it up, equal "hating" on someone. If you want to disagree with what I wrote, please do so and try to support your case. Playing the "hater card" is a cop out. BNM
Mills is a better player than many of you think. I've watched him play several times including twice in person. I'm not saying he's going to be a star, but the guy can shoot lights out and can get out on the break. He's in the same mold as other undersized sparkplugs like Eddie House and Jannero Pargo. He has a place in the league.
Bayless was a really good shooter in college as well. Nate will ruin him like he has ruined every other young PG we have hed. Well maybe not ruin, but he won't develop him like he hasn't developed anyone pther young PG. Mills last year in college 40% field, 86% line, 34% 3pt% Bayless last year in college 46% field, 84% line, 41% 3pt% Seems to me he is not quite as good a shooter as some of you think. Put down the Kool-aid
Mills has proven he can at least score against NBA talent while playing for Australia. Paul/Williams couldn't keep him in front of them. People were going nuts about Rubio's mediocre performance against the USA in the Olympics at 17; meanwhile, days after turning 20, Patty Mills put up 20 points against the US and was raved about by players and coaches. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/beijing_olympics/story/0,27313,24222874-5016800,00.html
Mills was also the only scorer on his team and he was injured much of his senior year. The guy could flat out score in college and that was with defenses completely focused on him. How that translates to the NBA is a mystery. But to put much stock in the stats you pasted above does no make sense to me.
Yeah, why put stock into stats when we can go by whatever you are focusing on. Bayless put up better numbers in a better conference. I hope Mills works out, but this thread has gotten out of hand quickly.
It started out of hand: "One report suggested that Mills needed seasoning and might head "overseas" for a year or two. Nonsense. He's a better point guard than Steve Blake or Jerryd Bayless, and will have proved that by the end of training camp. Brandon Roy just found his ideal backcourt partner" BNM
There are lies, there are damned lies and then there are statistics. All I'm saying is that if you didn't catch some games where he played healthy, you are not getting the full picture. For what it's worth, I'm usually very much into statistics and think they often have a lot of value. But I also know that they can be misleading in some situations.
Spoken like someone who doesn't understand the limitations of statistics. Just curious, is there anyone on the list who actually saw him play 3 games or more that thinks those stats are an accurate portrayal of Mills' abilities? To be clear, I'm not some raving irrational fan about Mills. I'd be surprised if he contributes much next season, but could see him be a solid spark plug off the bench the following season. It's just that if you're going to dis him, I think you're probably on thin ice to dis him as a scorer.
