Mike Miller Will Play in Game 2

Added on Jun 02, 2011 by Scott in

NBA

It’s been a rough season for Heat guard Mike Miller and an even tougher last couple weeks. On the court, an ailing shoulder continues to give him fits. Off the court, his newborn daughter is battling a birth defect in her heart. While his daughter is improving, the injuries that have plagued him all season long shouldn’t prevent him from suiting up for tonight’s Game 2.

Miller could be seen favoring his left arm during Miami’s Game 1 victory. Despite the discomfort, he still was able to post a solid effort with a pair of three-pointers and five rebounds. He along with forward Udonis Haslem and point guard Mario Chalmers led an impressive bench charge that outscored Dallas 27-17.

When healthy, Miller gives the Heat a proven deep shooter as well as an extra rebounder. A thumb injury caused him to miss half of the regular season and limited him to under double-digit minutes in 11 of 16 playoff outings, including three DNPs. However, he’s been more involved during the last five games, grabbing 27 boards and hitting 5 of 15 from beyond the arc.

The well-traveled Miller has been with five teams in eleven years. He has averaged 13.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and shot 40.4% from three-point range. He was the league’s Rookie of the Year in 2000 with Orlando and captured a Sixth Man of the Year Award in 2006 as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies, netting a career-high 18.5 points per game.

How many minutes Miller will get tonight is yet to be determined. Head coach Erik Spoelstra is confident he’ll have his reserve guard available.

“There’s won’t be anything stopping him from playing,” Spoelstra said. “In terms of one-handed, he can probably put his guide hand up there if he needed to right now. But we’re just trying to rest it.”

He’ll never garner many headlines on a roster loaded with stars, but Miller’s production shouldn’t be overlooked. If he can’t shoot effectively or is forced to sit out, the Mavericks will have one less guy to worry about.

Source: ESPN.com