Donnie Walsh
Multiple team executives told CBSSports.com that they have raised their estimate of the 2010-2011 salary cap to $53 million, and several are optimistic that the figure will exceed $54 million.
Ken Berger reports that when the July free-agent sweepstakes get underway, Donnie Walsh will be looking for a shot-blocking center and more physical, defensive-minded big men. Walsh may also go shopping for a point guard, unless the Knicks are able to sign a prime scorer who can initiate the offense.
Berger mentions an example of a sign-and-trade of David Lee to the Blazers in exchange for Andre Miller and/or Joel Pryzbilla.
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Marcus Camby
If there was a bright side to Marcus Camby’s hectic 48 hours, it was his seamless transition to his new team.
From Brandon Roy to LaMarcus Aldridge to Andre Miller, teammates praised Camby’s basketball intelligence, instincts, defensive prowess and leadership and said he formed instant chemistry with the group.
After just one practice, the consensus is that the 6-foot-11 center will be the force that pushes the Blazers into the playoffs.
HoopsWorld
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Andre Miller
Andre Miller scored a career high 52 points as the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Dallas Mavericks 114-112 in overtime on Saturday.
Miller was 22 of 31 from the floor and hit 7 of 8 from the foul line as the Blazers snapped a three-game losing streak.
He hit 25 of his points in the fourth quarter and overtime.
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Andre Miller
Trail Blazers practice on Thursday was halted nearly 60 minutes into the workout when veteran point guard Andre Miller and coach Nate McMillan engaged in a shouting match that lasted for nearly 30 minutes.
Miller shouted throughout the exchange, and McMillan mostly listened, but at times broke in with shouting of his own.
One of the topics discussed was an incident late in Tuesday’s game with Memphis, when Miller told Jerryd Bayless to make his second free throw with 4.3 seconds left and the Blazers trailing by two. The coaching staff and team captain Brandon Roy told Bayless to miss the free throw so the Blazers could attempt to rebound and make a tying basket.
Inside Hoops
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Steve Blake
Two general managers have revealed that Steve Blake has been offered to them when they called asking for Andre Miller.
Miller has been on the trading block for the majority of the season but Blake’s expiring apparently makes him a valuable trading commodity according to the Blazers.
One thing that bugs Blazers coach Nate McMillan is that Brandon Roy prefers to play with Blake instead of Miller — even when he is struggling. If Blake got traded, that pressure would disappear.
Yahoo Sports
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Andre Miller
Several league officials believe that the Trail Blazers will soon make point guard Andre Miller available.
Because Portland signed Miller as a free agent, he can not be traded until Dec. 15.
Blazers coaches have insisted that Miller has not worked out and that general manager Kevin Pritchard is gauging the market for the guard’s worth.
Sources claim that Brandon Roy prefers playing with Steve Blake over Miller.
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Brandon Roy
For a night, at least, order was restored within the Trail Blazers.
Brandon Roy was back at shooting guard and controlling the pace and precision of the offense.
Andre Miller, steadfastly saying he is accepting the reins of the second unit, played perhaps as hard and determined as he has all season.
“That’s great,” Roy said. “I’m good with it. I hear everybody is getting mad at me now over this whole Andre thing. I don’t know why. … I never did anything. I’ve never wanted anything but what’s good for the team. It makes me a little sad. But I’m cool.”
FanNation
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Andre Miller
Andre Miller said almost all the right things Friday after learning he will start the season coming off the bench for the Trail Blazers.
“I came here to win,” Miller said. “I feel that I will get an opportunity to do that here.”
Miller said he could read the handwriting on the wall during the exhibition season, when coach Nate McMillan used Steve Blake as the starting point guard.
“I think I’ve handled it fine,” Miller said. “I haven’t made a big fuss about it. It hasn’t affected how I practice. I mean, it’s just different. I didn’t think it would happen at this point of my career. I think I’m still peaking. But that’s part of the business. I’m not making a big deal about it.”
HoopsWorld
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Nate McMillan
Portland Trail Blazers head coach Nate McMillan is not happy with his team, according to sources.
He was supremely irked when his team lost 108-97 to the Utah Jazz last night in the team’s penultimate preseason game. He went so far as to question the team’s “effort, execution and will.”
The apparent problem is that the team’s chemistry is not coming together at all smoothly. Adding in Andre Miller and Juwan Howard from free agency and returning Martell Webster to the roster has not proved to go over so well with the other players on the team.
Yahoo Sports
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Photo by Anna Harris
Portland point guard Andre Miller says that reports of his conditioning issues have been “overblown.”
“I’ve never had a conditioning problem since I’ve been in this league,” he told the Deseret News.
It was reported earlier this summer that Miller, who signed a three-year, $21 million deal with Portland this offseason, was the only player with a guaranteed contract to fail a conditioning test.
He has also been criticized by fans for being aloof.
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