[smchoops33]

I think Mike Miller deserves Sixth Man of the Year. He is the 2nd leading scorer for the Grizz -- off the bench and provides the team a huge lift. As the Appeal pointed out yesterday, when Miller plays well, the Grizzlies win:

As Miller goes, so go the Griz
By The Commercial Appeal
February 28, 2006

Statistics show that there is a correlation between reserve guard Mike Miller's production and Grizzlies victories. Miller has averaged 15.2 points on 49 percent shooting when the Griz win.

In losses, Miller's averages drop to 11.6 points on 43 percent shooting.

It was Miller who propelled the Griz to a win against Washington on Jan. 22 in MCI Center. He scored 30 points in 36 minutes off the bench in that game.

Miller for Sixth Man!!!

[bbasok]

This is my man

[neoxsupreme]

He could very well be 6th Man. I haven't really watched a lot of Grizzlies games so I don't know. He is a good shooter/scorer whether it's starting or coming off the bench. If he is the 2nd top scorer on his team coming off the bench then he very much should be in consideration.

[GM3]

No doubt, but Mo Williams deserves a nod also.

[IbizaXL]

mike miller is defenitly a candidate for 6th man. hes had a great season so far

[smchoops33]

Here are some more interesting stats about Mike's year. Hopefully people will notice him even though he plays in our smaller market!

Miller becoming better sixth man all the time
By Ronald Tillery

January 27, 2006
Mike Miller grabbed Bobby Jackson by the arm and pulled him away from the scorer's table.
Jackson was about to take the court Wednesday for the second half of the Grizzlies' 107-87 victory against Minnesota. Miller, wanting to provide encouragement, sought out his teammate as he strolled toward a seat on the bench.
Before Miller would slap hands, though, he made sure Jackson didn't reach for the liquid adhesive he routinely uses to achieve a better grip on the basketball.

The gesture appeared as if Miller didn't want anything to contaminate the hands responsible for his pure shooting of late.

Jackson just smiled.

Miller, the Grizzlies' sharp-shooting reserve guard, isn't having a problem handling the basketball or launching it with ease and accuracy. He's in such a scoring groove that what may eventually stick in his hands is the NBA's Sixth Man Award.

Miller certainly is making a strong case entering the Grizzlies' road game tonight against the Detroit Pistons. He's one of four NBA reserves who are either first or second on their team in scoring.
New York's Jamal Crawford (14.7 ppg), Milwaukee's Maurice Williams (14.7) and Chicago's Ben Gordon (14.6) boast higher scoring averages than Miller's 13.7 points per game.

Miller has to his credit the distinction of operating more in a reserve role. He's started just six of the Grizzlies' 41 contests while Gordon (17 starts), Williams (12) and Crawford (nine) have enjoyed pregame player introductions more.

Ask Miller -- a former Rookie of the Year -- about his status as a serious sixth man candidate, and it's about the only time he doesn't shoot with confidence.

"I just want to continue to come off the bench and help our team win," said Miller, who also is averaging a career-high 5.9 rebounds. "The situations I've gone through ever since I was a rookie taught me that you do what you can do with the minutes you're given. Right now, my job is to go out there and give our team a boost."

Miller's past five games provide a snapshot of what he's provided off the bench.

He averaged 18.8 points on 57-percent shooting during that span. Those eye-popping numbers are bolstered by 58-percent shooting from 3-point range.

Against Minnesota on Wednesday, Miller converted five of his six field goals from beyond the arc.
Miller's adjusted well to coach Mike Fratello's request that he take a step back given the team's offseason acquisitions, having averaged 16.1 points on 51-percent shooting (49 percent from 3-point range) for the month.

"Whether Mike starts or comes off the bench," Fratello said, "he's going to give you the same effort."
Shane Battier said Miller is playing the best basketball he's seen in a long time because Miller's concentration level is high. Teammates are routinely impressed by Miller's attitude, which has him aggressively calling for the ball and seldom hesitating to launch shots.

Take the Grizzlies' win last Sunday at Washington. Miller exploded for a game-high 30 points partly because he decided to shoot every time he touched the basketball given the team's inept offense.
The effort marked only the ninth time this season that an NBA player came off the bench to score at least 30 points.

"They call me 'Bobby Buckets.' But he's got that 'Mike Buckets' thing going," said Jackson, a former Sixth Man award winner. "We need that from him. He knows he has to be that guy to come off the bench. It was me and him, but now he's the guy who has to come off the bench and really give us something."

Attitude is everything, according to Miller, whose play is an extension of last season's excellence. He started 51 of 76 games and finished shooting 51 percent overall and 43 percent from long range.
"I'm playing with confidence and that's really helped me the last couple of years," Miller said. "It's really helped my game. Whether you're starting or coming off the bench, you get your minutes and your (shots). Plus, we've won a lot of games and that's the most important thing.

"When you sign a contract it doesn't say you're starting. It says you're playing on a team. As long as I play I'm happy. My job is to go in there and give the starters a lift every once in a while."
Often times, Miller's stretched defenses with his deft shooting and that's created better spacing for the Griz to operate in the paint.
"We definitely get easier buckets when he's shooting well," forward Pau Gasol said, adding that there shouldn't even be a mild debate over whether Miller should start. "He still ends up with more than 30 minutes. That's why he ain't too worried about it. I wouldn't be either. He's doing an excellent job. When he's on, he becomes a big, big threat."

[Jameh]

Sounds like the perfect "6th man" season to me.

[Dodigago]

Speedy Claxton