Andre Miller Underperformed in the Playoffs

Sorry, I confused your post with a part of Minstrel's. LA played to his norm, which is a top 20 player in terms of the minutes he played. Miller elevated his game in Game One, then choked when his deficiencies were exposed.

 

The PER difference is not particularly significant (especially Jordan's, a player most used as an example as "stepping it up") and, like the PPG difference, it's largely tied to the fact that all those players took more shots in the playoffs. One flaw in PER is that you can raise it by taking more shots, as long as you aren't too inefficient. That is, you don't necessarily have to play better...shooting more can raise it. This is mostly an issue with high volume scorers.

Again...if the player has a higher level, they should be playing at it all the time or most of the time. If they truly are playing better in the playoffs (which I generally think is not the case), it means that they were underperforming to that point.

 

Roy is one of the few players to elevate his game by over 2 in the playoffs versus the regular season. He did it last year. He didn't do himself any favors with his critics by playing hurt this postseason, but I am positive his teammates appreciated it.

He's our star. His teammates now this. He has one of the most complete offensive games in the NBA.

 

Then he should have played at that level during the regular season. Purposely playing worse during the regular season maybe cost them seeding last year.

Or perhaps he didn't "elevate" his game, because he was already playing at his best during the regular season, and 7 games is a small sample size.

I think it's the second. If you're hostile to Roy, you'd think it was the first.

 

Many times in NBA history, an older (or chronically injured) player has been "saved" for the playoffs. The coach decided to have him play beneath his capacity in the regular season, to maximize his energy (or minimize the effect of his injuries that just won't go away) in the playoff season.

 

There is a difference between somebody being a "2nd banana" because that's their role, and being a 2nd banana because that's the best they can be.

If Jordan had gone down with an injury, I'm sure Pip would have increased his scoring average. The same with Bird/McHale or Magic/Worthy.

That wouldn't be because they were dogging it before the injury - it would be because their role changed. It appears that LMA can't adjust to a changing role. In that sense, he failed to "step up" and do what the team needed him to do.

 

no actually it's not. lol

 

One of your weaker efforts.

Later

 

Aldridge increased his scoring average in the playoffs over what he averaged in the regular season, and he did it by being the focus of Phoenix's defense. The biggest problem Aldridge has is he can't create his own offense. That wasn't going to chage with Roy out. We needed the primary ballhandler to elevate his game, and in that aspect, Miller failed miserably.

 

I'm afraid not. You still haven't explained why Roy would have a higher level of play, yet not use it in the regular season.

But I know your style, PapaG...once you run out of points to defend your point of view, you say something dismissive and finish with "Later" or "I'm done." Fair enough.

 

Again with the PapaG stuff. Anyhow, if you really believe that Roy was holding back in the regular season, and therefore hurt the seeding last year, instead of playing at an elevated level over a 6 game sample, then my opinion of your basketball expertise has been wrong since I joined. Your premise is so silly to me that I honestly don't know how to answer it. You're now using Roy playing well in the playoffs last year to criticize his play during the regular season.

As for me running out of points, what does that even mean? Perhaps I should have titled the thread "Miller Overperformed in the Regular Season, and Also the Rest of His Career, Compared to the Phoenix Series"? Then, I could have posted how the real Andre Miller is the slug that we saw after Game 1 with a sub-13 PER, and how the rest of his career has been an example of him overperforming.

 

If you aren't PapaG, you're his long lost twin. Seriously uncanny resemblance.

 

Oh, PapaG, you make this too easy. This was my post:

I hate playing the "learn2read" card, but you really should be more careful.

 

I still don't understand what your point was, unless it was "Andre Miller Underperformed in the Playoffs", because if you believe what you typed about Roy, the inverse is true about Miller this year. Excuses aside, he underperformed. If it makes you feel better, excuses aside, Roy was in the same camp, but only worse against Phoenix. Regarding last year, it seems that you're agreeing that Roy "overperformed" in last year's playoff series compared to his seasonal statistics.

You're heavy on the snark in this exchange, but very light on the substance, other than ultimately agreeing with the premise of this thread (by proxy).

 

Part of this discussion has been about "stepping up" in the playoffs, due to Denny bringing it up about LMA failing to do so. I don't believe in the ability to magically become a better player in the playoffs. That tangent discussion isn't relevant to Miller, as far as I'm concerned.

Thank you!

Oh, I agree that Miller underperformed his seasonal stats. Small sample sizes can lead to outside-of-norm results. I don't think that means that Portland was just as well off with Blake at point guard. Miller offered more throughout the season, and in the playoffs he commanded Phoenix's best perimeter defender. It's bad luck for Portland that Roy was too banged up to take advantage of that benefit Miller provided.

 

No. Miller was good enough in Game 1 that the Suns had to completely change their defensive strategy and put their best defensive player on Miller. They also increased their focus on him.

In the regular season the opposing team didn't have the opportunity to put their best defensive player on Miller because Roy was there.

You're comparing apples to oranges and saying oranges underperform.

 

There can be a difference between "becoming a better player in the playoffs" and performing at a higher level in the playoffs. You can't ride a single player all game every game for the 82 game regular season. You can do so more in the playoffs with more rest and fewer games. Therefore, if you can ride your best player more in the playoffs, they may produce at a higher level, not "magically" become a better player.

 

Yet it's fair game to criticize Aldridge. I love this place. So many obvious inconsistent arguments, and the anger when the hypocrisy is exposed is top notch.

 

And that's when the AirSoft guns get drawn. Careful, BGrantFan, a former poster was nearly killed by a poster's avatar.