By Brian A. Lester

Maybe getting Darius Miles from the Los Angeles Clippers was a good move for the Cleveland Cavaliers, but for some reason, I think L.A.'s other team got the better end of the bargain by adding Andre Miller to its roster.

The Clippers have a young and talented team, and now, after shipping Miles off to Northeast Ohio, they just might have the point guard to turn them into contenders.

Don't get me wrong. Miles has a lot of promise and potential and could someday be a superstar in the league. But Miller has already proven in his short time in the NBA that he is quite capable of leading a team.

His stats prove it.

Sure, the Cavs were woeful again last season, but Miller clearly put his best foot forward each and every night. He averaged 16.5 points per game and dished out an NBA-best 10.9 assists last season. His effort on defense was questioned at times, but then, that is a problem that can be corrected.

It's safe to say that Miller would have had another good year with the Cavs, and perhaps Cleveland's years of frustration would have ended this season with Miller still in the lineup and new talent in Wagner joining him.

Now the Cavs must hope that Miles becomes "The Man" this season. It's either that, or fans in a city known for its bad luck will be in for another long and painful year.

For the Clippers, things are looking good, and it's not a stretch to say that L.A. might have two powerful teams instead of one this season.

Miller is coming to a team that has a collection of up and coming stars. There is Elton Brand, who was the team's leading scorer (18.2 ppg) and rebounder (11.60 rebounds per outing) a year ago. There is Quentin Richardson, who dropped in 13.3 points per night and Lamar Odom, who was right behind Q with a 13.1 ppg average.

Throw Corey Maggette (11.4 ppg) and Michael Olowokandi (11.1 ppg) into the mix, and the Clippers are, without a doubt, bound to become one of the most dangerous and exciting teams in the NBA.

Miller is going to have a field-day dishing out assists to a team full of rising young stars, while at the same time being just as much of a scoring threat as his teammates.

The Clippers have long been a joke in the league and are used to being a punching bag for far superior opponents. But they've slowly but surely gotten better over the last few years, and with Miller joining the team should be ready to make the leap to the next level.

Don't be surprised if it happens as early as this season.

Brian Lester is a sports writer in Ohio and can be reached via e-mail at BAL4@hotmail.com.