Patty Love From The Bay..

[ABM]

From: SF Gate

What a break for the Portland Trail Blazers, finding Patty Mills available as the 55th pick. One report suggested that Mills needed seasoning and might head "overseas" for a year or two. Nonsense. He's a better point guard than Steve Blake or Jerryd Bayless, and will have proved that by the end of training camp. Brandon Roy just found his ideal backcourt partner, or at the very least, a spark of energy off the bench ...

 

[STOMP]

more from SF Gate on Mills

STOMP

 

[MrJayremmie]

I'm super excited about Mills. I hope he is in summer league, and he and JBay can play in the backcourt with Bayless at the 1 and Mills at the 2. We can have an awesome summer league team.

Bayless, Mills, Claver, Batum(?), Freeland(?), Koponen(?), Pendergraph, Cunningham and then whoever else we get from oversees/NBDL.

 

[Nikolokolus]

He's a better point guard than Steve Blake or Jerryd Bayless, and will have proved that by the end of training camp.

I'll believe that when I see it ... that's not to say I don't think Mills has some potential, but Blake is at least a savvy vet, and Bayless is probably twice the physical specimen Mills is. Summer league is going to be interesting (I think?)

 

[Nikolokolus]

I'm super excited about Mills. I hope he is in summer league, and he and JBay can play in the backcourt with Bayless at the 1 and Mills at the 2. We can have an awesome summer league team.

Bayless, Mills, Claver, Batum(?), Freeland(?), Koponen(?), Pendergraph, Cunningham and then whoever else we get from oversees/NBDL.

All of those guys I bolded are confirmed out. European championships are this summer and all of those guys either have national team commitments or aren't fully healed in the case of Claver.

 

[SheedSoNasty]

Let's hope that he has more impact than Taurean Green. I really thought that guy was going to be a decent player in the league.

 

[Mediocre Man]

55th pick in the draft. I will be ecstatic if he makes the team. He is a tiny PG who will have a really hard time defending taller PG's in the league......which is most of them.

 

[andalusian]

55th pick in the draft. I will be ecstatic if he makes the team. He is a tiny PG who will have a really hard time defending taller PG's in the league......which is most of them.

If he can run the offense and score as a backup without defending anyone - it will be an upgrade on our outgoing backup PG...

Honestly - he seems like a very nice 3rd PG to have on the roster for special occasions and when there are injuries. Nothing more, nothing less. Would love to see it happen as a super-fast cheap version of Aaron Brooks with less shooting/scoring.

Heck - he would be worth it if all he could do is stay in front of the Aaron Brooks of the league...

 

[ABM]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=13108

Patrick Mills – 55th overall: The sophomore guard was actually in attendance at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, hoping to hear his name called much sooner than it actually was. Many thought a strong performance in Treviso was enough to solidify Mills as an early 2nd round pick but that obviously didn't come to fruition. The reason that Mills fell like he did was because his point guard skills, which he could have developed for at least another season at St. Mary's, are nowhere near that of your typical NBA lead guard. Add that along with his lack of size and all the sudden Mills nearly went undrafted. The Trail Blazers got a fine prospect that needs some time to work, but he could be a real steal down the line. Mills has proven he can play at a very high level, he just didn't excel in the weeks prior to the draft.

 

[hasoos]

And just think of the Burger promotions they can have for the fans!

 

[Boob-No-More]

Nice to see Mills' agent writing for the SF Gate.

"He's a better point guard than Steve Blake or Jerryd Bayless, and will have proved that by the end of training camp."

You can't be serious. He's not even really a PG. He's a subminiature shooting guard. He averaged only 3.9 APG, and 2.9 TO/G playing in a very weak conference. Doesn't sound like a great PG to me. He had a FGA/AST ratio of 4:1. A FGA/AST ratio of 2:1 is a shoot first PG territory. A 4:1 ratio is a shooting guard.

By comparison, Jerryd Bayless put up better numbers as a college freshman, in a much tougher conference, than Mills did as a sophomore playing against weak competition. People say Bayless isn't a "true PG" because he has a scorer's mentality. Yet, his FGA/AST ratio in college was 3.15:1 - 0 and he actually played SG for all but six games. So, he took fewer shots per game (12.6 vs. 15.6), but scored more PPG (19.7 vs. 18.4) than Mills, and averaged more APG (4.0 vs. 3.9) as a shooting guard than Mills did as a point guard - and he did it all against tougher competition. Bayless is also 2.5" taller and nearly 30 lbs. heavier than Mills. Yet Bruce Jenkins, whoever he is, thinks Mills will somehow be a better PG by the end of training camp, than Jerryd Bayless (and Steve Blake). Right.

Somebody please send this to Jerryd Bayless. I want a copy of it posted on his bathroom mirror so he sees it every morning. We all know Bayless is intense. Imagine what a little added motivation would do for him. He's already been told he's going to be running the point in summer league to help groom him to be our PG of the future, and now some asshat writer says Mills is going to beat him and Blake out for the starting role by the end of training camp.

BNM

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

I beg to differ. Bayless has so much more potential.

I have, though, been a fan of Mills since the olympics. I think he can develop into a very good long-term backup PG.

 

[Ed O]

55th pick in the draft. I will be ecstatic if he makes the team. He is a tiny PG who will have a really hard time defending taller PG's in the league......which is most of them.

Yes.

It doesn't mean it was a bad pick--at #55, what can you really expect?--but those quotes about him seem ridiculous to me.

Ed O.

 

[B-Roy]

Mills has a surprisingly large fanbase, probably because he's from Australia.

I don't see him doing any more than Taurean Green though.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Yes.

It doesn't mean it was a bad pick--at #55, what can you really expect?--but those quotes about him seem ridiculous to me.

Ed O.

Yeah, he was probably a good value at 55, but it's pretty hard to get a bad value at 55 as the expectations are so low.

The quotes are totally over the top. If you look at Mills' stats in the WCC they are very similar to Pooh Jeter's stats. He's also very similar to in size and plays a similar style. Jeter has made a decent career for himself playing in Europe, but I doubt he'll ever be on an NBA roster. Mills could probably have a decent career playing in Europe, and if he does make an NBA roster, it will probably be a as a 3rd sting PG 12th - 15th man role. No way is he going to beat out Blake and Bayless to be our stating PG on opening day. If he is, we're in HUGE trouble.

BNM

 

[RoyToy]

Mills has a surprisingly large fanbase, probably because he's from Australia.

I don't see him doing any more than Taurean Green though.

He's a much better player than Green.

 

[alex42083]

I hope the guy makes it as our third-string PG. I think he'd be an instant fan favorite with a name like Patty Mills.

 

[Boob-No-More]

He's a much better player than Green.

Mills put up better stats as the number 1 scoring option on a team in a weak conference. Green was the PG on a two-time national championship squad loaded with future NBA players. They are both about equal in my eyes = borderline NBA 3rd stringers.

BNM

 

[RoyToy]

I hope the guy makes it as our third-string PG. I think he'd be an instant fan favorite with a name like Patty Mills.

I think he will. There's this talk about leaving him in Europe or w/e but I think I'd either make him the 3rd string PG or NBDL him. He already plays the NBA type game and sending him overseas just seems unnecessary.

I'd go with 3rd string PG myself. He wouldn't get many minutes at all bit if he did, I think he could contribute just based on his speed and athleticism alone.

 

[RoyToy]

Mills put up better stats as the number 1 scoring option on a team in a weak conference. Green was the PG on a two-time national championship squad loaded with future NBA players. They are both about equal in my eyes = borderline NBA 3rd stringers.

BNM

Dude, I'm convinced you haven't seen Mills play at all.

Mills is much, much quicker, a better ball handler, and simply a better player. He can get his own shot whenver he wants. Taurean Green was a jump shooter with average athleticism.

Come on. Stop basing everything on only stats. Watch a game.

 

[B-Roy]

Mills is much, much quicker, a better ball handler, and simply a better player. He can get his own shot whenver he wants.

You make him sound like a starting PG. He can probably get his shot off against scrubs. Anyone else? Meh.

 

[RoyToy]

You make him sound like a starting PG. He can probably get his shot off against scrubs. Anyone else? Meh.

He's quick enough to play against anyone, that's for sure. He's a good ball handler and has a pretty good crossover. Chris Paul himself said Mills is faster than him, so that's saying something.

He's not a bad guy at all to be the 3rd PG option off the bench. He'll need work, but he has all the tools to succeed in the NBA.

 

[B-Roy]

He's quick enough to play against anyone, that's for sure. He's a good ball handler and has a pretty good crossover. Chris Paul himself said Mills is faster than him, so that's saying something.

He's not a bad guy at all to be the 3rd PG option off the bench. He'll need work, but he has all the tools to succeed in the NBA.

Fair enough. I'm not opposed to him being the 3rd PG, but I don't think he's going to do much in the league.

That article is pretty BS though. Better than Blake and Bayless? Laughable.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Dude, I'm convinced you haven't seen Mills play at all.

Mills is much, much quicker, a better ball handler, and simply a better player. He can get his own shot whenver he wants. Taurean Green was a jump shooter with average athleticism.

Come on. Stop basing everything on only stats. Watch a game.

Maybe BNM hasn't seen him play, but I have several times and while I think he's got some potential, I see him as a being a smaller, much less physical version of Jerryd Bayless -- a nice college player, but his NBA potential for me is very much in question. That said, I hope he pans out and competes for a position, because I'm always in favor of adding talent and any time a late second round pick sticks, it just validates your GM and scouts and god knows this team could use more answers than questions at the point guard spot.

Let's just see what he can do in summer league before we get too high on Mills the NBA point guard.

 

[RoyToy]

That article is pretty BS though. Better than Blake and Bayless? Laughable.

That part is a bit much. He could probably score on Blake(who can't), but Bayless would eat him alive.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Dude, I'm convinced you haven't seen Mills play at all.

Mills is much, much quicker, a better ball handler, and simply a better player. He can get his own shot whenver he wants. Taurean Green was a jump shooter with average athleticism.

Come on. Stop basing everything on only stats. Watch a game.

I have seen him play. He's a shooting guard in an undersized point guard's body. Yes, he's very fast, but is a defensive liability and he's definitely not a distributor. Yes, he can get his own shot, but the PG's role is to also get shots for his teammates - something Mills hasn't prove he can do any better (or even as good) as Jerryd Bayless.

I did not compare his game, or his skills to Taurean Green's - I compared their worth, which I see as about equal. Mills is more athletic and scores more. Green is a better distributor and decision maker. The player I compared directly to Mills is Pooh Jeter. Do you disagree with that comparison? If so, why? What is it that Mills does so much better than Jeter that will have Mills proving he's a better PG than both Steve Blake and Jerryd Bayless by the end of training camp?

Jeez, I agree this guy is the next Sergio, We already have people fawning all over him and declaring him the next fan favorite before he's even made the team.

BNM

 

[Boob-No-More]

Let's just see what he can do in summer league before we get too high on Mills the NBA point guard.

Is he going to be playing in the summer league, or does he have commitments to the Australian national team that will keep him from playing in Vegas?

Bayless has supposedly been told he will be running the point on the summer league team to work on his distribution skills. Even is Mills is there, I don't want him taking one second of time at the point that could be used by Bayless to improve his game. Bayless is our PG of the future. Mills is a long shot to make the team.

BNM

 

[Rastapopoulos]

You make him sound like a starting PG. He can probably get his shot off against scrubs. Anyone else? Meh.

Yeah. Scrubs:

[video=youtube;U5zfDNT4A8Y]

 

[number 10]

this is the best youtube to watch, it's the last 6 minutes of a game against Santa Clara (also featuring stat-machine center John Bryant, #54 in red). Mills is #13 in white. There's some things to like, but also some bad. Much more informative than a highlight reel.
[video=youtube;nMV0y4z5pJM]

 

[alex42083]

That game against the U.S. made Chris Anstey look an All-Star, didn't we draft that guy years ago?