zagsfan20

When that talent doesn't apply himself (with the exception of a 40 point game a year) what good is it?....Especially when all indications are that he doesn't care and doesn't want to be here....

We can get just as good talent other places and a player who actually cares and applies those talents on the court instead of sitting around and looking like the smug loser that he is...

Darius Miles is an extreme talent, but also a loser until he proves me and the Blazers fans otherwise, which he hasn't and doesn't seem like he's going to....

He's burnt his bridges in Portland, time for him to move on to a different city and another coach that he can argue with...

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Minstrel

He may be an extreme talent who underachieves due to not applying himself. That's irrelevant except for his own sense of satisfaction. What is relevant is that even at whatever level he does apply himself, he's still the best small forward on the roster. Not a star, but a better player than we have.

Getting rid of him for nothing would simply leave a gaping hole in the lineup. Outlaw hasn't shown even the ability Miles shows. Patterson's gone. Maybe Portland can fill that hole in the draft, but if Portland had Miles, they could draft a player who could fill another position.

More talent is better, except in extreme situations. Miles doesn't present an extreme situation...lots of athletes are disgruntled. Miles' problems barely register on the scale of athlete problems in this sport and others.

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You'll never fail like common people
You'll never watch your life slide out of view
And dance and drink and screw
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MARIS61

Antonio Harvey.

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MARIS61

Seriously though, Miles.

What a friggin loser. No heart at all.

Drags his team mates down with him on top of it.

Even on his best day he's really not that good. If he scores a bit, he gets wiped by his opponent at the other end.

If he gets a few blocks and a steal, he can't buy a bucket.

On his best day he's our 3rd best option at SF, and Martell will pass him up soon for that spot.

Trade him, waive him, push him under the Max, just get rid of the bum.

__________________
I know what I know. - Paul Simon
I'm ALWAYS right and I NEVER lie. - George C. Tirebiter
Life is tough, it's tougher when you're stupid. - John Wayne
The United States is a nation of laws: badly written and randomly enforced. - Frank Zappa
You are responsible for your children until they are a credit to society. - Jovan Banjanin

ColoradoBlazerFan

I'm having a hard time believing that anyone thinks that Miles brings anything positive whatsoever to this team. Keep him to help win games? Like last night. Right....his knee is hurting again...after 3 games off. He's the first player I've ever seen who get's less healthy with rest. Are we watching the same team? The myth that he will change is dead people...kinda like the whole "weapons of mass destruction" thing...it ain't real and never will be, no matter how often we repeat the words.

So yeah to answer the first question....Miles. End of rant.

Peace Out

Dan

Miles is the same player he was as a rookie. If he isn't going to change after his 6th year, he's not going to change. He's not improving the team, and despite what certain people think the chemistry of the team being poor, is a bad thing. It drives away players, and keeps players from signing/re-signing. He's detrimental to the team, and needs to go. It's not like the coach isn't basically saying that.

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Mythology dies hard.

Ed O

I don't necessarily agree. He's only 24 years old. Players improve at age 24 all the time. It might not be probable that he'll change, given his experience and track record in the NBA, but saying that he simply isn't going to change is way, way too hasty in my opinion.

But even if he doesn't change: so what? He's still a pretty good player. Better than any other options we have at this point by a fair margin.

Do you have any evidence of that? I'd love to see an example or examples of where a player has refused to re-sign because of chemistry.

Joel is frustrated, but I would bet almost anything he's more frustrated by getting his teeth kicked in every night than he is by "chemistry" issues independent of losing.

Telfair said that the coach's lack of consistency is detrimental to the team. Zach has said that the GM's inability to get good players is detrimental to the team.

Bad teams, entirely understandably, point fingers. Miles and Zach are natural targets because of their contracts and their talent. It doesn't follow that everyone who gets blamed for the team's struggles should be gotten rid of.

Ed O.

zagsfan20

I don't buy that...

Viktor has been just as effective as Darius...and he is younger...

He might not have the physical tools that Darius has, but what does it matter when the player with all the ability in the world doesn't apply it...I'd rather have a player with less physical tools and more desire than a primadonna who doesn't even care...and I gaurantee if you ask any coach in the NBA they'll agree with me...

Thats why Darius Miles will be gone by this summer and he'll be on his 4th team and is only 25 years old...

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"I condemn remarks that are, in any way, viewed as anti-anything".
- John McCain

Rodney Stuckey is the future of the league.

e_blazer1

There's no denying that Miles and Zach are probably the two most naturally talented experienced players on the Blazers roster. There's also little doubt that the Oregonian writers have zeroed in on Miles, in particular, as the next guy they want to run out of town. I recognize the truth of your statement that it doesn't follow that the guys who are getting fingers pointed at them are necessarily the ones who should be gotten rid of. I think, Ed, that maybe you need to recognize that the converse is also true. Just because you, perhaps rightly to some degree, blame the media for pushing roster decisions that have left the Blazers as NBA doormats, doesn't necessarily mean that Quick & Co. are wrong this time. Miles has a history in his brief career of underachieving and having his act wear thin with coaches and teammates. Perhaps, in his case, the Oregonian writers are just pointing out the obvious. Given that we have Outlaw, Khryapa, and Webster that can play SF and given that there's a probability that we end up drafting a SF this summer, moving Miles for somebody at anothe position makes sense. If we can get somebody who actually wants to be here, is willing to give effort on a nightly basis, and adds to the talent base, great.

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Minstrel

Debateable, but a different issue. I'm saying he's the most effective small forward on the roster, by a fair amount. You dump him, you weaken the team a fair amount. Whether he improves or not.

Of course, after seeing Oden play, I'm coming around on dumping Miles...precisely because I'm actually being tempted to endorse a "tank for Oden" strategy, and dumping Miles would make the Blazers worse, increasing their chances at the #1 pick.

__________________
You'll never live like common people
You'll never do what common people do
You'll never fail like common people
You'll never watch your life slide out of view
And dance and drink and screw
Because there's nothing else to do.

zagsfan20

When Miles was healthy were still losing nearly every game, so even if he stayed we'd have just as much of a chance at Oden...(note: I don't want him to stay, I'm just giving an example of how he isn't a difference maker)...

__________________
"I condemn remarks that are, in any way, viewed as anti-anything".
- John McCain

Rodney Stuckey is the future of the league.

Masbee