Mike Miller is a player every fan should want on their team. For the Denver Nuggets, his role has been primarily that of an assistant coach on the bench. He only averages 4.3 minutes a game, and it’s pretty clear by now that he probably will not get many more unless the Nuggets get bit by a serious injury bug. Still, Miller is crucial for this young team, as fans can often see him instructing players in timeouts and during live play. He has a lot of experience and the young players seem to really respect that. But is Miller, who was the 5th pick in the 2000 NBA draft and won the sixth-man of the year award in 2006 with the Memphis Grizzlies, angry because of his lack of playing time? Well, based on his response to a tweet the Denver Nuggets’ twitter profile sent out on Thursday night, it does not appear so.
This is why Miller is so beloved wherever he goes. He isn’t getting any minutes with the Nuggets, but he still loves being a part of the team. This is really nice to see, especially with the news that Jusuf Nurkic is displeased with his role. Obviously, those are two different scenarios. Nurkic is still at the beginning of his career, while Miller is at the end of his. He’s already won two championships and had a fair amount of success in this league. Now, he seems to have accepted that it’s time for him to take a backseat and help some young players get their chance.
Between Miller and Malik Beasley, who can always be found on the sidelines with a smile and a fancy dance move, the team has some pretty good cheerleaders on the bench. Hopefully there’s even more to cheer about in the months to come.
