By trading away two of the LA Clippers’ top three leaders in points, James Harden and Ivica Zubac, Jordan Miller, a rising third-year star, will reap the most benefits of the aftermath of the deadline. There will be a weight on his shoulders to get buckets, which is good and different from before, and it will prominently exist for years to come throughout the next era of hoops; it is a new life of basketball.
However, Miller’s days while Harden and Zubac were in LA were unique. He was more of a plug-and-play option, who would be a boost to the offense when played by Tyronn Lue without any expectations.
At the moment, while Darius Garland is out with a toe sprain, and even when the Clippers are one-hundred percent healthy, Miller will be needed to get to his spots, finish on both sides effectively, and routinely put on a scoring clinic.
Jordan Miller will be the primary source of offense off the bench for Tyronn Lue
As he has been doing all season, recording efficient numbers is second nature to Jordan Miller. He really had 20 points in 24 minutes against the Phoenix Subs, then directly after, on the tail-end of a back-to-back, dropped 21 points in 28 minutes, shooting 90% from the field, versus the Philadelphia 76ers.
The kid can genuinely dominate at the highest level, and this certainly gave the Clippers confidence as they pieced together their young core, headlined by Darius Garland and Bennedict Mathurin.
The best part is that Miller is clearly comfortable off the bench. He does not need to be on the floor at the start of games to warm up by running back and forth, then going to work. The Miami product will enter at any given moment and, off the bat, punish defenses.
You might ask, “How will Miller do with the two ball-dominant youngsters, Garland and Mathurin, arriving in LA?” Well, a sixth man is gonna do what a sixth man does.
If the bench is Miller’s to lead, he will eat at the dinner table no matter the circumstance. This is very reminiscent of Lou Williams, and he must get accustomed to it following the departures of James Harden and Ivica Zubac.
That said, the front office shifted its priorities at the deadline, and Miller is one of the direct recipients of the impact. Fans will look forward to his performances nightly, and he will inevitably shine on all three levels.