Miles is Awful!

[EJPLAYA]

You have to give a guy a lot of credit for coming back to play at all when told he could never play ball again, but as far as his productivity as a player at this point he is horrible. He does nothing beneficial for this team at all. He can't get off the floor. He can't shoot the basketball. His lateral movement defensively is severely slowed due to his injury. If this guy weren't ever injured and you were looking at his game for the first time you'd laugh the guy off the floor. He has no business being out there with this team. He's going to be the cut.

JR Giddens for that matter doesn't look much better. I wasn't impressed with him at all last night.

[Casperian]

You have to give a guy a lot of credit for coming back to play at all when told he could never play ball again, but as far as his productivity as a player at this point he is horrible. He does nothing beneficial for this team at all. He can't get off the floor. He can't shoot the basketball. His lateral movement defensively is severely slowed due to his injury. If this guy weren't ever injured and you were looking at his game for the first time you'd laugh the guy off the floor. He has no business being out there with this team. He's going to be the cut.

JR Giddens for that matter doesn't look much better. I wasn't impressed with him at all last night.

I 100% agree, TP.
The thing is, I donīt know if Danny only has him around to screw with Portlandīs cap space (which would be a questionable strategy, imo). I think itīs absolutely possible that heīll be a part of the team at the start of the season, even if itīs only for the first 10 games.

[EJPLAYA]

You have to give a guy a lot of credit for coming back to play at all when told he could never play ball again, but as far as his productivity as a player at this point he is horrible. He does nothing beneficial for this team at all. He can't get off the floor. He can't shoot the basketball. His lateral movement defensively is severely slowed due to his injury. If this guy weren't ever injured and you were looking at his game for the first time you'd laugh the guy off the floor. He has no business being out there with this team. He's going to be the cut.

JR Giddens for that matter doesn't look much better. I wasn't impressed with him at all last night.

I 100% agree, TP.
The thing is, I donīt know if Danny only has him around to screw with Portlandīs cap space (which would be a questionable strategy, imo). I think itīs absolutely possible that heīll be a part of the team at the start of the season, even if itīs only for the first 10 games.

I had those thoughts as well. The only way I think that works is if they decide to either cut one of the other guys anyway. Sam might be the way they get that done. They could assistant coach him until Miles hits the magic number and then cut the guy. I don't know how I feel about such a dirty trick though. It just rubs me a bit wrong...

[Reyquila]

I saw Giddens for first time last night. I dont know why Danny traded him but he is s strong 6.4. I just dont know what Danny knows about this kid. He must have seen something he liked very much about him. Besides, theres nothing we can do about him except wait and see. That CDR guy, or whichever his initials are= 6.7 guard; why did we bypass him? He is playing great and was available. What did Danny not like about him? Why doesnt someone write a blog "Danny is a jerk?" Apparently Rondo is now  a jerk. Why not Danny too?
 

[Robb]

Simply bringing him to the preseason has, I'm sure, caused the eye of the NBA to focus on this situation.  If Danny cuts Miles after ten games there will be a response from the league.  There are no two ways about it.

Danny will cut him before the season, or he'll be here for the long haul.  There is no way with today's sports media scrutiny, that an executive could do something so obviously unethical.

[Chris]

Miles really has shown me nothing except that he is nowhere close to being an NBA quality player right now.  He has not brought anything (offense, defense, or hustle).  It is clear that he just is not ready yet, and who knows if he ever will be again.  Right now, I think he simply needs to be the cut.  They can always try to resign him if he ever gets some more of his explosiveness back, but as of right now, he is the least effective player on the roster (and yes, that includes Scal, who is MUCH better defensively).

As for Giddens, I liked what I saw of him last night.  He reminded me a bit of Pruitt last preseason, in that he looked lost, but he showed some very good defense, hustle, and even made some nice passes.  I think he needs some time in the D-league, but eventually, I expect him to be a player in this league.

[Manzana]

I attended the game in Manchester last Saturday and when Miles came on the floor he still looks real slow and tentative, which can you blame the guy? I mean, we saw how careful Tony Allen was after his knee surgery and this guy's was worse. So I think it is still in his head. I think if Miles stays, it will be to fill in the Scott Pollard role, but maybe POB already took that spot.

I think Miles has some skill, he seemed to be in the right place at the right times in the game I saw, and I mean positioning for rebounds, setting screens, but I don't think he has ever really had a consistent jump shot, more like a running pogo stick before the injury. He really has to adapt his game to be more effective. I guess it all comes down to how much he loves the game and how hard he is willing to change his game. Develop a jump shot, rebound, play defense.

[EJPLAYA]

I attended the game in Manchester last Saturday and when Miles came on the floor he still looks real slow and tentative, which can you blame the guy? I mean, we saw how careful Tony Allen was after his knee surgery and this guy's was worse. So I think it is still in his head. I think if Miles stays, it will be to fill in the Scott Pollard role, but maybe POB already took that spot.

I think Miles has some skill, he seemed to be in the right place at the right times in the game I saw, and I mean positioning for rebounds, setting screens, but I don't think he has ever really had a consistent jump shot, more like a running pogo stick before the injury. He really has to adapt his game to be more effective. I guess it all comes down to how much he loves the game and how hard he is willing to change his game. Develop a jump shot, rebound, play defense.

So what you're saying is that he isn't good, but if he learns how to shoot, learns how to rebound, and learns how to play defense that he could be valuable?!

If after all these years he hasn't learned how to shoot, then I think it's a little late to be expecting him to develop that in time to help us this season. His physical problems don't allow him to move or jump which kind of eliminate his ability to excel at rebounding and defense. Just being in position to make a play at times doesn't mean that he was able to actually make a play. The guy did NOTHING out there last night. We don't have 2-3 years to wait for the guy to recover. The guy should/will be gone. Nice story and effort, but he isn't ever going to be a GOOD basketball player again. He was borderline that BEFORE the injury.

[EJPLAYA]

Miles really has shown me nothing except that he is nowhere close to being an NBA quality player right now.  He has not brought anything (offense, defense, or hustle).  It is clear that he just is not ready yet, and who knows if he ever will be again.  Right now, I think he simply needs to be the cut.  They can always try to resign him if he ever gets some more of his explosiveness back, but as of right now, he is the least effective player on the roster (and yes, that includes Scal, who is MUCH better defensively).

As for Giddens, I liked what I saw of him last night.  He reminded me a bit of Pruitt last preseason, in that he looked lost, but he showed some very good defense, hustle, and even made some nice passes.  I think he needs some time in the D-league, but eventually, I expect him to be a player in this league.

I hope your right about Giddens. He should definitely spend a lot of time in the D league this year.

I agree about Scal as well. He was actually VERY good last night other than that stretch in the second half where he missed about 4 straight shots. 2 of them I thought were forced. He did come up with two big threes to help seal the game. He does seem to have put on some extra fat though in the offseason that I hope they are going to run off him. He looks pudgy like BBD.

[CoachBo]

He frankly doesn't look like an NBA player, and should be cut.

If that's the only negative to emerge from our summer of dumpster diving - in which I still remain greatly disappointed - then we're lucky. I suspect there will be other issues.

[WeMadeIt17]

J.R. Plays very good D, I think he could be somewhat like a Tony Allen just not as good. But at the least he is a good young Defender and had the game winning steal. On Miles Man was I hopeful for him...  I really wanted him to come back and be able to do something for this team, unless he completely shows out in the last couple pre-season games, looks like he will be cut, But I really do wish the best for Darius. I was talking to my brother last night and he was saying he doesn't look the same of course. I think his problem is though is that he really doesn't try to get the ball when he is out there. It's Pre-season go get the ball or DOC run some more plays to him, we now what tony,Eddie,Leon,Baby, and heaven for bid Scal can do but let Darius show case him self a little more. 

[nickagneta]

So even though it's not official - yet - can I pull out the "I told you so" speech.

I have said from the very moment he was signed that he wouldn't make the team. I have said from the very moment he was signed that I would put more stock in what three orthopedic surgeons had to say about this man's long term prognosis than anyone else's. I just never understood the absolute certainty of people that Miles was going to be what he once was ever again.

He is beyond a shadow of his former self and if he ever does succeed at a comeback it will be as a PF and not the high flying acrobatic SF he once was. And even that is doubtful.

Now that it is fairly obvious that others are going nowhere(Cassell will be a playing coach, Pruitt appears to have lifted the backup PG spot from House who has seemed to been converted into a 2 guard, Scal has assured a apot by Danny and actually looked like an NBA player last night, and there are going to be no trades) and that the guy with the non-guaranteed contract will be on his way out, perhaps some of you more vocal members can now come here and actually admit you were wrong about the guy and the situation.

I took a lot of heat for my stance and for sticking to it. I think Wide Load and Roy were a couple of the very few that support me here. Just a little "I was wrong" would be nice!!!

[papa shuttlesworth]

I was really hoping that Miles would pan out.  It is a classic story: he had everything (physically) and seemed to take it for granted by not developing skills, lost it and now needs to recreate himself.  But he has been pretty lousy so far.  As someone said earlier, Tony took a whole season to regain his confidence, so maybe it is just a matter of time...

As for JR Giddens, last night was the first time I had seen him play for an extended amount of time.  He did look very lost out there, but there were good signs.  On at least two plays, he kept a rebound alive by tapping it to himself 4-5 times in a crowd.  He didn't actually get credited with the rebound on either of these, but it showed good positioning and effort.  As he gets more experienced, things like that will start to go his way.

[nickagneta]

About JR, remember just how lost Gabe Pruitt look last season and even after some of his recalls from the NBDL. He looked like a lost cause at times. A year later he is vying for and may have won the backup PG spot. I think a year of NBDL and watching the vets will be a great experience for both Walker and Giddens.

[Birdbrain]

Just for clarification purposes there are reasons why I wanted Miles on the roster and none of them had to do with helping the team at the start of the season. 

1. Making sure Sam never saw the court because I think he does more damage than someone like Miles who never sees the court.  My fear is Doc will replace Pruitt in a heartbeat and have youth as his excuse.  My only hope was Miles would wow them and force them to rethink Sam.  Now that seems shot he's more than likely gone.  Everyone else is too talented or too young or too guaranteed to cut.

2. He's 6'10 and maybe with more work he can provide some backup defense against longer players.  The type of players BBD and Powe can't cover.

3. Call me unethical but, this is a business and limiting Portland's salary cap maneuvering is in Boston's best interest. 

4. I'm a softy and I like a comeback story.