Reggie Miller playing differently... 1995 Playoffs Knicks vs Pacers Game 3

[72-10]

Reggie the "Knick Killer" lit up the Knicks nightly in playoff bouts like he lit up the league, nightly. From long mid-range and threes mostly coming off double picks in an offensive system with him as the pivotal player. I agree there has rarely been a star player with as little help as Reg. And most 30 point playoff games against the Knicks this side of MJ. The only shooters on Reggie's level are a guy given the green light Stephen Curry and maybe Ray Allen, who often played alongside another stellar shooter such as Glenn Robinson or Rashard Lewis. And Reggie, like MJ, was clearly one of the best off the ball. Always knew how to get square with the basket. All whilst going through an army of the game's best perimeter defenders - Payton, Jordan, Pippen, Rodman, Dumars, Thomas, Mason. He's one of the few guys that could take out a team, and it was with shooting, what is clearly the hardest skill.

But how can you say Reggie's game had no flaws? He was a known flopper, he wasn't brilliant at creating scoring opportunities off the dribble with the ball, and he didn't play much defense. He needed that system to do as well as he did, but I don't think I've ever seen a player thrive as well by a system, and I don't think any other player could do what he did on the court.

[Reggie43]

For those who dont understand what type of team those Pacers were they are basically an earlier version of the 2004 Pistons with better offense but not as good defensively. They had great depth and excellent chemistry on both ends. Judging a team like that based on only two players (Miller/Smits) is like calling those Pistons Ben and Chauncey's team when Rip and Rasheed deserve as much credit for their success. While there would be years that Miller and Smits would look better it is hard to overlook the contributions of Dale/Antonio, Mckey, Jackson and even Jalen Rose at the end of their run.

[Reggie43]

Just another rare play from the same series in 1995 grabbed off Maxamillion17's new Miller video

[Lebron23]

Generally speaking aggressive Reggie is more effective. And it presents an obvious issue I cant figure out why the efficiency lovers never grasp. In the end....what does it matter how efficiently you score less points than the other team?

Theres this belief that any missed shot shouldnt have been taken and all shots that went in were good and its such a surface level glance...

I think Bird explained it best when he was coaching the pacers. Reggie was asked to be aggressive and said he was....but he was 5-15....and Bird told him if he was being aggressive hed be 5 of 25. All the time there were issues like this:





People see highlights of game winners and think Reggie was just taking over all these games late when he was often a spectator....and being called out for it from inside and outside the team. The idea Reggie would go get the ball and take over late is a pure revisionist fabrication. Shit like this was written all the time:





Reggie would stand there while Jackson, Travis Best, and even Haywood Workman would be deciding games.


He was specifically told that just because they focus on you....that doesnt mean you let the role players decide the game:





20 years later we have efficiency whores posting shooting numbers like 6/9 overall 2/3 from 3 and 4/4 from the line means you had an incredible game when your team had like 83 points and lost with you unable or unwilling to come get the ball for key baskets. Actual coach says:







Dudes posting ortg and TS acting like that makes a performance dominant.

Truth is....a Reggie who missed more shots might actually have been more effective.....but you have to think it through past the math and some just arent willing to do that.

Multiple coaches, teammates, and Reggie himself have talked about his lack of aggression costing them. Fans praise it like being unselfish counts on the scoreboard when youre deferring to guys not built to score under duress. Yea....guy is open....give him the ball. But Reggie wouldnt even have the ball to give. He might bail on a possession and stand still when the back pick didnt free him with 9 seconds on the clock. IF Smits isnt in now its some non scorer left to pound the ball for 6 seconds of confusion then hoist a bad shot Reggie would be more likely to make himself even if it being a bad shot....would over time lower his efficiency.

It both makes you more efficient...and the team worse.

Reggie didnt have the handles to be a guy you always played through....but he likely should have been more active at times. He wore people out running around but often to no result as hed bail on plays that didnt get him open as if he were Kyle Korver(who did have many plays run for him on the Hawks).

Stir like....a dash of AI/Kobe into Reggie....you get a better player with worse efficiency I think. He wasnt a Kobe type but his bag was deep enough to not chill out and let(relative) scrubs decide plays so often. Thats what older posters mean when we say hed go ghost. A well defended Reggie might not even make an effort to get involved. It does help your standing when nerds shift analysis to efficiency numbers only but it does not help Travis Best on an island one on one with the clock running down.

Reggie shouldnt have been an ISO attacker but he should have been more aggressive at what he could do. Reggie had 25 a night talent held to 19 or so due to unselfishness and occasionally showing its head in the playoffs when he should have been playoff Reggie(aggression wise) every night and stepped it up from there. Brown was right to stop him doing some of his early career 1 on 1 shit to focus on Smits more but when he transitioned to an off the ball guy....he didnt have to stop looking for his shot.

Not shooting isnt as helpful to a team with middling to low offensive talent as efficiency whores think it is.

I agree. Anyway Reggie Miller was one of my favorite players in NBA live 1998 to 2001. I traded him to the Sixers to pair him with Allen Iverson

[PerkinsFor3]

It really helps preception to have huge games against the Knicks.

[TheGoatest]

For those who dont understand what type of team those Pacers were they are basically an earlier version of the 2004 Pistons with better offense but not as good defensively.

This dude was basically Schwarzenegger with more height but not as much muscle mass: