Jason Quick stirring it
After reading this article I can't help but wonder if Quick has a little bit of drama queen in him......tends to stir the pot. He started off the same way with Oden's article last year.
http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2009/10/trail_blazers_andre_miller_and.html
After Sunday's Trail Blazers practice, point guard Andre Miller addressed the comments he made in this Yahoo Sports story and discussed a host of other issues, including his treatment by the Portland media, his desire to be in Portland and his relationship with coach Nate McMillan.
Miller:
You were quoted in the story as saying “If I was told right out when I had my meetings that I would be a backup, then I wouldn’t have come (to Portland).” Is that accurate?
“Yeah, that’s accurate.”
Are you cool with your situation here? Is it a work in progress?
“That’s the mentality that every player should have. If it doesn’t go my way, it doesn’t go my way. But I’m going to continue to work hard regardless of the situation. So the coach runs the team and whatever decision he makes, I have to live with it. But I’m not going to change my work habits and my work ethic. I’m going to continue to work hard and that should be every player’s goal going into the season, setting goals to be on the court as much as they can. I wouldn’t be in this position if I didn’t have that mentality. So I understand the situation. It’s a new situation and I don’t want to mess up the thing that’s going on here. I just want to come in and help and however I can help the team, whether coming off the bench or starting. That’s just what I have to deal with.”
So is it safe to say you’ve changed the opinion you expressed from the summer?
“I like the players. I like the coaches. I like the management. I’m here to win. However they’re going to use me, I have to deal with that. And, like I said, whatever the coaches say, I have to do. But that’s not going to change my work habits. I’m a team player. It was nothing bad as far as what I said about starting. That’s just a goal. Like I say, if the coach goes in a different direction then I have to live with that and that’s my job to continue to come out and support my players.”
Do you feel this situation right now will improve?
“Yeah, it’s going to improve. Regardless of the situation, this is a talented team. I’m not here to cause any controversy. I’m here to play basketball. Whatever goes on off the court, I’m not going to worry about that. I’m here to play basketball and be on the court.”
Judging by your comments in the story, you feel as if you’ve gotten a bad rap from the media. Is that accurate and would like you to comment on that?
“Yeah, pretty much. I normally don’t say anything to the media. I’m even tempered. When I saw what was put in about me in the paper, then I did the article with Marc (Spears) to have my say. I didn’t want it to be one sided where people get a bad vibe about me coming to Portland. I came here to help the team. I didn’t come here to bring the team down.”
Miller confirmed he is upset with Quick’s story about the Blazers' conditioning test and my story about his reserved personality.
“Yeah. Because it’s a first impression thing and that was the fans first impression of me — the conditioning test and the other article about me being a private person. It kind of felt like me coming in (that I) was not a team player, if you want to call it that, or I don’t get along with people. I didn’t mean it like that. I get along with all the players and we’re not even a week-and-a-half into the season. For the fans, for me coming here, I want the fans to judge me by what I do on the court. What I do off the court doesn’t matter.”
You can’t start over, but would you like this situation to be improved in general?
“It’s dead. It’s dead. That’s in the past. So whatever went on in the paper, it hasn’t effected my practice habits or what I do on the court. So that stuff doesn’t even matter. So the purpose of me even talking to Marc Spears was to just be able to have my say, rather than it to be one sided, where people get an idea or a feel about me that I didn’t feel was a positive feel. So I wanted to just put everything out there straight and, like I said, the basketball stuff is going to take care of itself. I’ve never complained about any situation that I’ve been in when it comes to basketball. I just went out there and played.”
Are you and coach McMillan on the same page?
“Yeah we are. As long as I’m here practicing and working hard, I feel that I can contribute to the team. It’s his job (and) I can’t control where I fit into that situation. So I’m not going to speak on that. I’m going to continue to work hard, I’m going to continue to be a team player and whether it’s five minutes or 25 minutes, I’m going to be out to contribute. And I think he knows, understands me as a veteran. I’m not going to get caught up in the situation. (This was) something by me having my say.”
McMillan:
What do you think about Miller’s comment? (“If I was told right out when I had my meetings that I would be a backup, then I wouldn’t have come (to Portland)?)
“My office is open to my players and I didn’t read that. I really won’t comment on that because until that is said to me then it’s not something that I’m going to concern myself with. My players, we’ve talked about my door being open, and they can come to me if they feel if there’s a concern or they don’t understand or they don’t know a role. Then I’m here everyday between 7:30 and 8.”
Has Miller revealed any displeasure to you?
“If that was the case, I would let you know. But no. I put him in the (starting) lineup the other day to look at that combination of players. I’m going to probably go with that lineup again to take a look at that. But, no I have not heard that from any player.”
Miller also said in the story that two or four other players did not pass the conditioning test and the times were fixed. Your thoughts?
“Again, I can’t comment on something that I don’t know to be true. It was written and the players know (where) we (stand) on that. And we can talk. That, again, that’s conversation; it may or may not be. But the lines of communication are open with the group.”
How do you think Miller has looked so far?
“It’s not just Andre. I’ve played him with a lot of different combinations. As a group, we have to get better. And he’s trying to learn a whole new system, what we do and how we do things and so he’s trying to absorb a lot. We’ve given them a lot and he knows how to play but he still has to learn how we play. On both ends of the floor. And you don’t get that in two or three weeks.”
oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2009/10/trail_blazers_andre_miller_and.html
