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53n206
12-13-2013, 11:06 PM
How in the world does Miles Plumlee get so many steals?




Moderator Note: I changed the title of the thread to make this an ongoing thread about Miles NBA season this year in Phoenix. Apologies to the OP, but the guy is just killing it with the Suns right now and it is a joy to see. Just this week he had a 17pt 20board game. Let's use this thread to track his progress throughout this NBA season. Keep it up big fella. DBR Nation is extremely proud!

OldPhiKap
12-13-2013, 11:09 PM
How in the world does Miles Plumlee get so many steals?

Good coaching from Wojo.

(Not kidding)

CameronBlue
12-14-2013, 01:39 AM
Good coaching from Wojo.

(Not kidding)

4 stls tonight but my goodness a block of a Cousins runout that could easily be the block of the year.

sagegrouse
12-14-2013, 08:26 AM
How in the world does Miles Plumlee get so many steals?

Kinda like Seth Curry, fending off Steph and Dell. The only way he could get something to eat at the Plumlee household was to develop quick hands.

slower
12-14-2013, 08:42 AM
4 stls tonight but my goodness a block of a Cousins runout that could easily be the block of the year.

That was awesome! So glad it happened at the expense of Cousins, who is a waste of protoplasm.

Newton_14
12-14-2013, 08:47 AM
4 stls tonight but my goodness a block of a Cousins runout that could easily be the block of the year.

Great block and true perfection that it came against Cousins. Link below.

Miles blocks Demarcus Cousins
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SikiVn29sms)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SikiVn29sms

millerecu
12-14-2013, 08:58 AM
Represented in today's ESPN top 10. One heck of a block.....and a little cocky jawing. He was always one of my favorites. I sure am glad he is doing well in the NBA.

weezie
12-14-2013, 10:28 AM
A little early Christmas surprise! Well done Miles!!!

Wish I was in Phoenix.

jacone21
12-14-2013, 12:21 PM
From the nba.com writeup...


Miles Plumlee, who put on a leaping and dunking exhibition, had 12 points, nine boards, a career-high four steals and three blocks for the Suns.
"Plumlee outworked us," Kings coach Michael Malone said.

Miles is going to mess around and get seriously wealthy.

tendev
12-14-2013, 01:07 PM
Duke centers can't play in the NBA

DukieInBrasil
12-14-2013, 02:07 PM
Duke centers can't play in the NBA

i mean, if he was athletic he would have simply grabbed the ball out of Cousins' hands and mid-air reversed direction and without touching the ground again, dunked it on the other side of the court. Athletic type players do it all the time. The fact that Miles didn't do that is proof that he is alarmingly unathletic...

moonpie23
12-14-2013, 09:56 PM
"oh, we wanted duke SO badly!"...............(uk coach John watshisname)

heyman25
12-24-2013, 12:34 AM
"oh, we wanted duke SO badly!"...............(uk coach John watshisname)

Miles with perhaps his best game as a pro 17 pts 20 rebounds.
Maybe Marshall will take til 25 years of age to hit his full potential.

http://espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400489289

heyman25
12-24-2013, 01:26 AM
Miles with perhaps his best game as a pro 17 pts 20 rebounds.
Maybe Marshall will take til 25 years of age to hit his full potential.

http://espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400489289
Brent Barry called him "Plumdog Millionaire"

timmy c
12-24-2013, 01:37 AM
Miles with perhaps his best game as a pro 17 pts 20 rebounds.
Maybe Marshall will take til 25 years of age to hit his full potential.

http://espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400489289

Congratulations to Miles. Also, Looks like ryan Kelly got 9 minutes of burn for the Lakers.

g-money
12-24-2013, 02:01 AM
Congratulations to Miles. Also, Looks like ryan Kelly got 9 minutes of burn for the Lakers.

One thing I find interesting is that in hindsight, our 2010 NCAA championship team had quite a bit of talent. Miles, Mason, Ryan, Kyle, and Seth (who was a practice player in 2010) are all in the NBA today, and Nolan and LT have both done stints. That's pretty darn good for a college team.

JasonEvans
12-24-2013, 08:34 AM
Miles is going to mess around and get seriously wealthy.

Worth noting that, as a first rounder, Plumlee's contract status is locked in place for the first 5 years of his career so he won't get ridiculously (in NBA terms) wealthy for a few more seasons.

This year he makes $1.12 mil. Next year he will make $1.16 mil. After that, there is a team option (which it appears the Suns are VERY LIKELY to pick up) which will jump his salary to $2.10 mil and then another team option for the 2016-17 season which will pay him $3.11 mil. After that, he becomes a free agent and can go to the highest bidder.

-Jason "I suspect Phoenix looks at Miles and sees their starting center for the next decade" Evans

Kedsy
12-24-2013, 10:57 AM
One thing I find interesting is that in hindsight, our 2010 NCAA championship team had quite a bit of talent. Miles, Mason, Ryan, Kyle, and Seth (who was a practice player in 2010) are all in the NBA today, and Nolan and LT have both done stints. That's pretty darn good for a college team.

What's funny is during that season we had a discussion about this. Some suggested that in order to make the Final Four, a team had to have at least three NBA players and they didn't think think the 2009-10 team had that many. When I argued the team had possibly as many as 7 or 8, many posters scoffed.

Bluedog
12-24-2013, 11:03 AM
Miles with perhaps his best game as a pro 17 pts 20 rebounds.
Maybe Marshall will take til 25 years of age to hit his full potential.

http://espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400489289

The alley-oop dunk from Bledsoe was #4 on SC's top 10. Great to see Miles doing so well in the league.

wk2109
12-24-2013, 11:12 AM
One thing I find interesting is that in hindsight, our 2010 NCAA championship team had quite a bit of talent. Miles, Mason, Ryan, Kyle, and Seth (who was a practice player in 2010) are all in the NBA today, and Nolan and LT have both done stints. That's pretty darn good for a college team.

And all the guys on the 2010 team got their degrees. Extremely special team.

Bluedog
12-24-2013, 11:16 AM
What's funny is during that season we had a discussion about this. Some suggested that in order to make the Final Four, a team had to have at least three NBA players and they didn't think think the 2009-10 team had that many. When I argued the team had possibly as many as 7 or 8, many posters scoffed.

In addition to that, Miles & Mason (NBA first round draft picks) averaged about 8 minutes in the Final Four and Championship, while Jon played 38 mpg (and broke ACC records for mpg during the season) and Zoubek logged 29 mpg in those two games and neither made an NBA roster. Of course, Nolan and Kyle also played the vast majority of those two games and the first round pick is no longer in the NBA and the second rounder is doing pretty well...

I'm not saying this to disparage any of the guys, but rather suggest that the proposition that a college team must have a certain number of NBA guys doesn't make much sense when you look at the successes (and draft position) of various players at the college vs. NBA level. Obviously, it helps to have elite talent, which the NBA usually covets. They're different games, though, and some guys excel in one much more than the other (of course, it's usually excelling in college way more since the competition isn't nearly as stiff and elite players should be dominating, but Miles has shown that the NBA game perhaps is better suited for his skillset and obviously he's improved immensely as well since his college days, so it's timing too).

DukeDevil
12-24-2013, 11:20 AM
"Gerald, come of the screen and shoot the ball. Miles, come off a screen and dunk the ball." - http://espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400489289

Now there's some good game strategy right there. Go Plumdog! (loving that nickname right now)

Kedsy
12-24-2013, 11:21 AM
In addition to that, Miles & Mason (NBA first round draft picks) averaged about 8 minutes in the Final Four and Championship, while Jon played 38 mpg (and broke ACC records for mpg during the season) and Zoubek logged 29 mpg in those two games and neither made an NBA roster. Of course, Nolan and Kyle also played the vast majority of those two games and the first round pick is no longer in the NBA and the second rounder is doing pretty well...

I'm not saying this to disparage any of the guys, but rather suggest that the proposition that a college team must have a certain number of NBA guys doesn't make much sense when you look at the successes of various players at the college vs. NBA level. Obviously, it helps to have elite talent, which the NBA usually covets. They're different games, though, and some guys excel in one much more than the other (of course, it's usually excelling in college way more since the competition isn't nearly as stiff and elite players should be dominating, but Miles has shown that the NBA game perhaps is better suited for his skillset and obviously he's improved immensely as well since his college days, so it's timing too).

I agree. After the championship game I joked that it was that lack of a third NBA player which caused Butler's last shot to bounce off the rim.

Also, if not for injuries, I believe Jon Scheyer and Brian Zoubek would have both made an NBA roster, at least for a little bit. And I think Andre still has a shot, but that's a ways off still.

CharlestonDevil
12-24-2013, 11:31 AM
Miles with perhaps his best game as a pro 17 pts 20 rebounds.
Maybe Marshall will take til 25 years of age to hit his full potential.

http://espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400489289


Miles' plus/minus....

+35

Dude did work. And putting bad boy Demarcus Cousins in his place was the cherry on top. Way to go Miles.

MChambers
12-24-2013, 12:03 PM
I agree. After the championship game I joked that it was that lack of a third NBA player which caused Butler's last shot to bounce off the rim.
I think that proposition about three NBA players was once a pretty good rule, but with NBA players often, if not usually, playing only one year of college ball, it stands to reason that it doesn't have the same predictive value it once did.

Tom B.
12-24-2013, 12:42 PM
Miles' plus/minus....

+35

Dude did work. And putting bad boy Demarcus Cousins in his place was the cherry on top. Way to go Miles.




And Phoenix, which was supposed to stink this year, is now at 17-10, which is good for fifth in the Western Conference. Not solely due to Miles, of course -- Phoenix is getting pleasantly surprising performances from several players (Gerald Green, for instance, is on his seventh team in nine years, and is having the best season of his career), but the emergence of Miles is certainly helping.

MChambers
12-24-2013, 01:32 PM
And Phoenix, which was supposed to stink this year, is now at 17-10, which is good for fifth in the Western Conference. Not solely due to Miles, of course -- Phoenix is getting pleasantly surprising performances from several players (Gerald Green, for instance, is on his seventh team in nine years, and is having the best season of his career), but the emergence of Miles is certainly helping.
A friend of mine who is a Suns fan is not happy, because he was thinking of the Suns having a top three draft pick this year, and at this rate Phoenix will miss the lottery.

I think it was the Suns who came in second in the Lew Alcindor sweepstakes/coin flip and drafted Neal Walk. Walk started out pretty well, but then basketball turned into a "spiritual adventure." He was then traded to New Orleans

Troublemaker
12-24-2013, 02:06 PM
A friend of mine who is a Suns fan is not happy, because he was thinking of the Suns having a top three draft pick this year, and at this rate Phoenix will miss the lottery.

That's the price they pay for discovering a very good head coach (Hornacek), trading for a very good PG (Bledsoe), and developing a good SG (Dragic) and good center (Miles!), all young.

Gotta admit, though. Slotting in Jabari or Wiggins at SF would've really completed the picture for them.

timmy c
12-24-2013, 02:10 PM
A friend of mine who is a Suns fan is not happy, because he was thinking of the Suns having a top three draft pick this year, and at this rate Phoenix will miss the lottery.

I think it was the Suns who came in second in the Lew Alcindor sweepstakes/coin flip and drafted Neal Walk. Walk started out pretty well, but then basketball turned into a "spiritual adventure." He was then traded to New Orleans

I think tanking is a poor strategy for NBA teams. There is no guarantee that the Ping pong balls bounce the right way. Many teams with top 3 picks are still languishing in the bottom half of the league--Cleveland, Utah, etc. The best teams this year all managed to get most of their talent outside of a top draft pick.

Take 2010 for example. The Pacers 2010 drafted Paul George at #10. He's now the captain of a roster full of mid- round success stories on a team that looks really good. The 3 teams with the best chance for a top 3 pick in 2010--nets, timberwolves, and kings, all have losing records.in addition the wizards (#1) and 76ers (#2) don't look like championship caliber teams either.

Billy Dat
12-24-2013, 02:22 PM
I think tanking is a poor strategy for NBA teams. There is no guarantee that the Ping pong balls bounce the right way. Many teams with top 3 picks are still languishing in the bottom half of the league--Cleveland, Utah, etc. The best teams this year all managed to get most of their talent outside of a top draft pick.

Take 2010 for example. The Pacers 2010 drafted Paul George at #10. He's now the captain of a roster full of mid- round success stories on a team that looks really good. The 3 teams with the best chance for a top 3 pick in 2010--nets, timberwolves, and kings, all have losing records.in addition the wizards (#1) and 76ers (#2) don't look like championship caliber teams either.

It's funny, I think teams and fans can really out think themselves sometimes. In the case of the Suns, rather than considering themselves lucky, many are saying that the only value of their hot start is that maybe they can flip some of these now "hot" players for assets before the trade deadline in the hopes that they will fall back into the top 6-7 picks. The wisdom, I guess, is that without a top 10 player, a team has no shot at winning it all, with the most recent Pistons title team being the lone exception. Maybe that's true. The new proposed elimination of the draft lottery might prevent this kind of thinking (www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/86940/the-nbas-possible-solution-for-tanking-good-bye-to-the-lottery-hello-to-the-wheel), but its tough to say whether its right or wrong until it plays out.

timmy c
12-24-2013, 02:32 PM
It's funny, I think teams and fans can really out think themselves sometimes. In the case of the Suns, rather than considering themselves lucky, many are saying that the only value of their hot start is that maybe they can flip some of these now "hot" players for assets before the trade deadline in the hopes that they will fall back into the top 6-7 picks. The wisdom, I guess, is that without a top 10 player, a team has no shot at winning it all, with the most recent Pistons title team being the lone exception. Maybe that's true. The new proposed elimination of the draft lottery might prevent this kind of thinking (www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/86940/the-nbas-possible-solution-for-tanking-good-bye-to-the-lottery-hello-to-the-wheel), but its tough to say whether its right or wrong until it plays out.

You are exactly right. This kind of thinking sounds like talk radio drivel. What happened to fans who root for their team to win?

Des Esseintes
12-24-2013, 04:39 PM
It's funny, I think teams and fans can really out think themselves sometimes. In the case of the Suns, rather than considering themselves lucky, many are saying that the only value of their hot start is that maybe they can flip some of these now "hot" players for assets before the trade deadline in the hopes that they will fall back into the top 6-7 picks. The wisdom, I guess, is that without a top 10 player, a team has no shot at winning it all, with the most recent Pistons title team being the lone exception. Maybe that's true. The new proposed elimination of the draft lottery might prevent this kind of thinking (www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/86940/the-nbas-possible-solution-for-tanking-good-bye-to-the-lottery-hello-to-the-wheel), but its tough to say whether its right or wrong until it plays out.

The thing is, between its emerging on-the-ground talent and its plethora of first round picks, Phoenix has a ton of assets. The GM has talked about leveraging some of that treasure to acquire a star, which is the reward for a young team coming together unexpectedly. Even if they don't land a Harden or a Garnett/Allen pairing, it puts them in position to do what Golden State did this offseason and add an Iguodala to an already competitive squad. Injuries have held back that latter team, but the concept was strong.

Tanking is a viable strategy, and we shouldn't pretend otherwise. When half the league is employing it, though, the percentile chance of success is sharply diminished. Phoenix got lucky with its young core; they might have gotten lucky with the lottery. And who knows? The West is so strong that they might yet win 45 games, not make the playoffs, and still get some pingpong balls. In any case, it's very difficult to win consistently in professional sports without some luck on your side, and best not to snarl at the good stuff that does drift one's way.

gep
12-24-2013, 07:58 PM
Miles with perhaps his best game as a pro 17 pts 20 rebounds.
Maybe Marshall will take til 25 years of age to hit his full potential.

http://espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400489289

I noticed that Miles has a Zoubeard:cool: I also thought I heard an announcer somewhere call one of his dunks a "plumflush"...

Great going, Miles!!!

Edouble
12-25-2013, 02:50 AM
Kinda like Seth Curry, fending off Steph and Dell. The only way he could get something to eat at the Plumlee household was to develop quick hands.

Seth Curry has quick hands?

Or he just never got anything to eat?

Saratoga2
12-25-2013, 08:26 AM
Is it the system he is playing in? Is it that he is gradually gaining confidence? While he always had outstanding physical abilities at Duke, he really improved very slowly, only getting where he could make substantial contributions towards the end of his Duke career. Mason also had quirks that held him from being as much of a force as he might have been. Foul shooting, happy feet, minimum interior moves and lack of a decent mid range shot. In addition, he had trouble with lateral quickness when guarding. Will he too show improvement in his weaker areas and become a top grade (1st 10) power forward or center in the NBA.

If so, is there something more that could have been attained in 4 years at Duke?

nmduke2001
12-25-2013, 09:28 AM
If we're going to have a thread dedicated to Miles, separate from the NBA thread, can we rename it so it doesn't seem like it's about a single game against Demarcus Cousins?

Troublemaker
12-25-2013, 11:08 AM
Why is Miles developing now? Is it the system he is playing in? Is it that he is gradually gaining confidence?

Miles has finally overcome his mental block of being unable to translate practice dominance to game dominance. He was always a practice beast at Duke by all accounts but only rarely flashed his total package of skills in games, e.g. this game against UNC: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMuHtJyNfUY While the result of that game was not good for Duke, Miles played excellent. He showed virtually all the skills that are now on display with Phoenix. Deft footwork and post moves (up and unders, hook shots, drop steps), faceup drives, quick rim-rolling after setting a pick, finishing dumpoffs on penetration, offensive rebounding, physicality (his body changed tremendously from frosh to senior years), even the Duncan-esque bank shot from mid-range that has been surprising Suns fans. At Duke, he was a dominant rebounder (ranking 7th in the country in OR% his senior year) and the coaches developed him into a very good help defender, and those things are major pieces of his success right now, along with translating those offensive skills from practice to games.

Phoenix's spread system has certainly helped as well. Miles always played better in space when paired with Ryan Kelly rather than in congestion when paired with his brother Mason. Phoenix has Channing Frye and the Morris twins to serve as stretch 4s, giving him plenty of room to operate on the pick-n-rolls and faceup drives and back-to-basket moves.

-jk
12-25-2013, 11:20 AM
I think a lot of it is spacing and the more "flowy" game in the nba helps.

Neither Miles nor Mason plays as well in the bump-and-grind style.

I hope we can get the college game back to flowy. But we have to play through a lot of ugly games until we get there.

-jk

Des Esseintes
12-25-2013, 11:29 AM
Is it the system he is playing in? Is it that he is gradually gaining confidence? While he always had outstanding physical abilities at Duke, he really improved very slowly, only getting where he could make substantial contributions towards the end of his Duke career. Mason also had quirks that held him from being as much of a force as he might have been. Foul shooting, happy feet, minimum interior moves and lack of a decent mid range shot. In addition, he had trouble with lateral quickness when guarding. Will he too show improvement in his weaker areas and become a top grade (1st 10) power forward or center in the NBA.

If so, is there something more that could have been attained in 4 years at Duke?

I just effing love this. Sub-top-50 recruit wins national title, gets drafted in the first round, becomes effective starting NBA center in his second season. QUESTION FOR DUKE MESSAGE BOARD: what did Duke do wrong, and how can we avoid such failures going forward?

Thank you to Troublemaker for giving a serious answer that I would not have been able to bring myself to offer.

Also: Merry Christmas, all!

Troublemaker
12-25-2013, 12:00 PM
I just effing love this. Sub-top-50 recruit wins national title, gets drafted in the first round, becomes effective starting NBA center in his second season. QUESTION FOR DUKE MESSAGE BOARD: what did Duke do wrong, and how can we avoid such failures going forward?

Thank you to Troublemaker for giving a serious answer that I would not have been able to bring myself to offer.

Also: Merry Christmas, all!

Thanks, Des. Merry X-mas to you, too. I was definitely in the dadgum Christmas spirit when I wrote that reply to Saratoga2.

I think Saratoga2 needs to get some nog in him so he can feel holly jolly as well. I'd estimate 90% of his posts this month have been of the "Hey, maybe we should play Josh and Tyler less" variety, and now this Miles post, on Christmas morning.

Folks, we have a somewhat competent basketball program. Relax, and enjoy the holidays.

Newton_14
12-25-2013, 04:25 PM
Miles has finally overcome his mental block of being unable to translate practice dominance to game dominance. He was always a practice beast at Duke by all accounts but only rarely flashed his total package of skills in games, e.g. this game against UNC: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMuHtJyNfUY While the result of that game was not good for Duke, Miles played excellent. He showed virtually all the skills that are now on display with Phoenix. Deft footwork and post moves (up and unders, hook shots, drop steps), faceup drives, quick rim-rolling after setting a pick, finishing dumpoffs on penetration, offensive rebounding, physicality (his body changed tremendously from frosh to senior years), even the Duncan-esque bank shot from mid-range that has been surprising Suns fans. At Duke, he was a dominant rebounder (ranking 7th in the country in OR% his senior year) and the coaches developed him into a very good help defender, and those things are major pieces of his success right now, along with translating those offensive skills from practice to games.

Phoenix's spread system has certainly helped as well. Miles always played better in space when paired with Ryan Kelly rather than in congestion when paired with his brother Mason. Phoenix has Channing Frye and the Morris twins to serve as stretch 4s, giving him plenty of room to operate on the pick-n-rolls and faceup drives and back-to-basket moves.

This is a really great assessment. The talent was always present, especially the physical gifts, and unlike Mason, Mile always had a nice mid-range jumpshot, and personally I think he could have developed a 3 point shot at the college level if he had tried to. There were numerous references from the staff and players about Miles dominating in practice from his Soph year on. Had Mason not been on the team and we had made the concerted effort to get Miles the ball on the block as we did with Mason, I have no doubt he would have averaged more points his Jr and Sr year.

It is just really great seeing Miles flourishing now in the NBA. I had hoped he would stay at Indiana, but maybe Phoenix was the better fit for his game anyway, so go Suns!

Merry Christmas to Miles and DBR! Keep doing your thing big fella. I am sure Wojo is very proud.

Bay Area Duke Fan
12-25-2013, 06:44 PM
Five possibilities:

1. K and his staff did a great job of preparing Miles for his NBA career.

2. K and his staff did an inadequate job of utilizing Miles' talents at Duke.

3. Miles wasn't ready to be a star at Duke; he's just now realizing his potential in the NBA.

4. None of the above.

5. All of the above.

sagegrouse
12-25-2013, 07:05 PM
Five possibilities:

1. K and his staff did a great job of preparing Miles for his NBA career.

2. K and his staff did an inadequate job of utilizing Miles' talents at Duke.

3. Miles wasn't ready to be a star at Duke; he's just now realizing his potential in the NBA.

4. None of the above.

5. All of the above.

Big men often take some time to get their coordination and basketball instincts. #3, without a doubt in my mind. If Miles were capable of steady double-doubles at Duke, he would have done so regularly. Instead, he had six double-doubles in 135 games. By year -- 0, 3, 1, 2. He averaged a perfectly balanced 4.8/4.8 over four years (6.6/ 7.1 his senior year). He is doing twice that well at Phoenix.

Go Miles!

Indoor66
12-25-2013, 07:39 PM
Big men often take some time to get their coordination and basketball instincts. #3, without a doubt in my mind. If Miles were capable of steady double-doubles at Duke, he would have done so regularly. Instead, he had six double-doubles in 135 games. By year -- 0, 3, 1, 2. He averaged a perfectly balanced 4.8/4.8 over four years (6.6/ 7.1 his senior year). He is doing twice that well at Phoenix.

Go Miles!

I agree with the Grouse on this one. #3 all the way. He has matured. Everyone runs his own race, EVERYONE!

kAzE
12-25-2013, 09:19 PM
I thought my fantasy team was going in the tank after I lost Derrick Rose for the year, but I grabbed MP2 and Trey Burke off waivers and now I'm just cruising. GO MILES!

Acymetric
12-25-2013, 09:32 PM
I thought my fantasy team was going in the tank after I lost Derrick Rose for the year, but I grabbed MP2 and Trey Burke off waivers and now I'm just cruising. GO MILES!

MP1, I believe. Give the eldest his due!

kAzE
12-25-2013, 10:07 PM
MP1, I believe. Give the eldest his due!

Ah, crap, bad typo there, thanks for pointing that out. Obviously, I meant MP1 :p

ice-9
12-25-2013, 11:34 PM
While I think the biggest factor is just general maturation, point guard had a little to do with it. Miles didn't play with a PG that liked to fast break or play the pick and roll here at duke. With the brief exception that was kyrie.

CBecker
12-26-2013, 09:34 AM
The draft "experts" were laughing when Miles was drafted in the first round, saying it was one of the biggest reaches in years.
It's great to see him playing so well.. Got a perfect team to play with too, Dragic and Bledsoe zooming up and down the court and giving him good opportunities to get easy baskets, and he's got the athleticism to thrive with those guys. Suns are great to watch.

UrinalCake
12-26-2013, 01:01 PM
Five possibilities:

1. K and his staff did a great job of preparing Miles for his NBA career.

2. K and his staff did an inadequate job of utilizing Miles' talents at Duke.

3. Miles wasn't ready to be a star at Duke; he's just now realizing his potential in the NBA.

4. None of the above.

5. All of the above.


It's 1 and 3. For those Duke haters who claim he was "wasted" while at Duke: if that's true, then he was also "wasted" at Indiana last year. The truth is that he has developed slowly and it has taken him until now to put everything together. We saw it happen with Danny Green (whose development was more emotional than physical) and countless other players, especially big men, who take a while before they're ready.

BD80
12-26-2013, 02:06 PM
I noticed that Miles has a Zoubeard:cool: ...

How about Josh?

3762

Billy Dat
12-26-2013, 04:35 PM
The quotes from Miles' teammates are awesome
(http://valleyofthesuns.com/2013/12/23/suns-unexpectedly-find-their-center-of-the-future-in-miles-plumlee/)

“It’s much easier to play [with a guy like Miles],” (Goran) Dragic said. “I just go to the middle of the paint and try to keep my head up to see who is going to cut. Miles does a great job of finding that open spot and open space. If the pass is open, we can throw him a bounce pass. If it’s not, we can throw him a lob because he is so athletic. He’s got very nice touch. No one gives him a compliment about that. He’s so athletic that he can really get any shot he wants. Miles is still young. If he continues to improve and work hard, he’s going to be one of the top centers in this league someday.”

“We knew it,” (Gerald) Green said. “You could see the potential. It’s like this, you would never know if someone is good if they don’t play. You could sit Michael Jordan on the bench for his career, and you would never know he’s that great. I’m not comparing the two. But Miles has been absolutely fantastic for us. He does the little things for us as far as protecting the basket. He’s always here working out. He’s dedicated to his body and to his team. He’s so focused right now. He wants to be the premiere big in the league, and he’s on his way. Right now, he’s learning every day. Every practice he’s dominating. Every game he’s dominating. Even when he’s not scoring, he’s still dominating. He’s a true center in this league, and I’m just glad to be playing alongside of him.”

timmy c
12-26-2013, 05:32 PM
The quotes from Miles' teammates are awesome
(http://valleyofthesuns.com/2013/12/23/suns-unexpectedly-find-their-center-of-the-future-in-miles-plumlee/)

“It’s much easier to play [with a guy like Miles],” (Goran) Dragic said. “I just go to the middle of the paint and try to keep my head up to see who is going to cut. Miles does a great job of finding that open spot and open space. If the pass is open, we can throw him a bounce pass. If it’s not, we can throw him a lob because he is so athletic. He’s got very nice touch. No one gives him a compliment about that. He’s so athletic that he can really get any shot he wants. Miles is still young. If he continues to improve and work hard, he’s going to be one of the top centers in this league someday.”

“We knew it,” (Gerald) Green said. “You could see the potential. It’s like this, you would never know if someone is good if they don’t play. You could sit Michael Jordan on the bench for his career, and you would never know he’s that great. I’m not comparing the two. But Miles has been absolutely fantastic for us. He does the little things for us as far as protecting the basket. He’s always here working out. He’s dedicated to his body and to his team. He’s so focused right now. He wants to be the premiere big in the league, and he’s on his way. Right now, he’s learning every day. Every practice he’s dominating. Every game he’s dominating. Even when he’s not scoring, he’s still dominating. He’s a true center in this league, and I’m just glad to be playing alongside of him.”

Great article. Thank you for sharing. I'd spork you, but I am required to spread the love.

I am delighted for Miles success. He did not hang his head while sitting the bench in Indiana. Instead he used it to grow his game so that he was ready when he got an opportunity. Nice to see him succeed and be a integral part of a team that is winning.

Channing
12-27-2013, 09:53 AM
Not that I'm petty, or anything like that, but I LOVE pointing out to my UNC friends that, in a shorter period of time, Miles has significantly surpassed Beaker (... err... I mean Hansbrough) as an NBA player. That absolutely drives them bananas because it flies in the face of Duke can't develop big-men.

The common retort is that Miles only became good in the NBA, so clearly there was no development at Duke. My response is that (a) I guess there was no development at Indiana either, and he just magically became a good player overnight and (b) Beaker's (...I mean Hansbrough's) offensive percentages went down in just about every category (except PPG and FT%) from his freshman year to his senior year, so he must have regressed as a player at UNC.

greybeard
12-27-2013, 10:39 AM
I thought that Miles would learn to soften his body, and thus his hands, and play with changing pace, by playing one-on-one before games and during practices in the pros. The rip that he had "bad" hands, which seemed to be reflected in his inability to finish inside, particularly off of offensive rebounding, was a general tension throughout his body, a "strong and effortful are better and stronger and more effortful are better still" concept that Miles held firm to. I thought that playing against pros with his same physical attributes but much more sophisticated styles on a daily basis might well lead to a radical change for the better. Also, practicing with and watching amazing talents with great physical attributes play with much less force but produce much more explosiveness, better timing, coordination, variation and control, would inspire exploration of those realms on his own. Not everyone can grow in the ways that he has, whatever the reasons behind it. Impressive!

nmduke2001
12-28-2013, 11:05 PM
Miles with 21 and 12 tonight with 8 minutes left against Philly.

heyman25
12-29-2013, 03:13 AM
Smoking hot Plumdog Millionaire! 22 pts 13 boards 3 blocks
http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400489318