In the world of basketball, it is often said that point guards are the extension of the coach on the court. It is therefore no surprise that a number of them head to the benches after hanging up the sneakers. Latest example? Mr Andre Miller.
Nuggets fans know him well, since the guy spent six seasons with Denver in the mid-2000s and early 2010s. And now he’s back in the coaching suit. As Adrian Wojnarowski ofESPN, Andre Miller will sit on the bench for the Colorado franchise-affiliated G League team, replacing new Jazz assistant Jason Terry at the same time. Dédé will therefore not be out of place even if the Gold (yeah that’s the weird name of the team) is based in Michigan – near Grand Rapids – and not in Denver. This return to the organization of the Nuggets may in any case bring back some memories to fans of the Nuggets, Miller having initially landed in 2003 at the same time as a certain Carmelo Anthony. Dede, he didn’t take off an inch but on the other hand when it came to directing an attack and using his basketball IQ to run the shop, he clearly did the job. And it’s no coincidence that the Nuggets became a Playoffs caliber team from 2004 following a catastrophic 17-win season. After being transferred to Philadelphia against Allen Iverson and then a stint in Portland, Miller then returned to Denver in 2011 to bring his XP to youngsters Ty Lawson, Danilo Gallinari and Kenneth Faried. With no less than 8,524 assists in his 17-year career, Andre is 12th on the all-time assists list, and coaching looks like the perfect career change for him.
This new role in the G League will not be his first experience on the bench. As Woj indicates, Andre Miller has already coached at the Balboa School (a private school in San Diego, nothing to do with Rocky) for the past two years, but there he is going to take a big leap by integrating the professional world and the NBA antechamber. A new challenge for the former leader, and perhaps a step before aiming even higher. Like a Jason Terry who now finds himself on the staff of the new Jazz coach Will Hardy, Miller could very well use this experience as a stepping stone to the benches of the Big League, potentially as an assistant but why not as a head coach one day. Dédé is one of those former players who have achieved a long career through their intelligence, their seriousness, their work and their leadership, and it is typically the kind of profile that appeals to franchise managers looking for a new voice. in the locker room.
Andre Miller in the coach’s costume, this is the least surprising conversion in history. Whether the man or the former leader, Dédé has all the qualities to break into this environment, and why not sit in a few years on the NBA benches in the costume of head coach.
Text source: ESPN
Miller, who ranks 11th in NBA career assists, replaces Jason Terry, who accepted an assistant coaching job with Utah. Miller played 17 seasons in the NBA and was widely regarded as one of the league’s most cerebral point guards.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 31, 2022