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https://theknickswall.com/what-is-case-keeping-knicks-head-coach-mike-miller/
THE RISE OF MIKE MILLER
His journey to the NBA was not a prototypical one. After serving as a small-school college basketball coach ,most notably, serving as the head coach of Texas State and Eastern Illinois, Miller became a G League underdog story. He caught on with the Spurs G League affiliate, the Austin Toros, before ultimately being hired by basketball legend Phil Jackson to run the Knicks G League team. And while the Knicks themselves floundered, Miller Westchester DubKnicks flourished, eventually earning Miller the 2017 18 G League Coach of the Year award.
Miller, of course, was then given a seat on Fizdale bench, before ultimately succeeding him. The man described by others as a basketball-lifer immediately impacted a young Knicks team with his Xs and Os, unflappable demeanor, and impressive knowledge of the game. In fact, he was originally hired by Jackson because of his knowledge of the Triangle Offense, perhaps one of the most intricate offenses in NBA history. Well, at least when you do not have Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille ONeal, or Pau Gasol on your team. Still, its read and react complexities make it an incredibly difficult offense to implement, especially in the modern NBA, where roster turnover is at an all time high and a head coach job security, or lack thereof, is at an all time low.
Miller did not utilize the Triangle with the Knicks, but it further displayed his knowledge of the game. And watching him coach last years albatross of a Knicks team was even more proof of that notion.
It was clear from the start that Miller was going to have the Knicks play to their strengths. He took the ball out of Julius Randle hands, much to the delight of Knicks fans, and isolated less. The team took fewer mid range shots and scored more points in the paint, as Miller took better advantage of the Knicks lone strength, their size. The Knicks, shockingly, were actually second in the league in paint points per game under Miller, with the coach preference for running high screen and rolls undoubtedly playing a large factor. Unsurprisingly, they also scored more, averaging 5.8 more points per 100 possessions than they did under Coach Fizdale. And with a team full of strong individual defenders and a shot blocking phenom down low in Mitchell Robinson, Miller also made the prudent call to switch less and fight over screens more. An old school approach, but far from rocket science, especially given the Bockers roster makeup.
The results were also tangible when it came to their young guys. R.J. Barrett, Robinson, and even Frank Ntilikina improved under Miller. Barrett set a career high (twice!) after Miller took over for Fizdale, scoring 27 points in wins against the Houston Rockets and the Atlanta Hawks. Robinson fouled less and scored more. He also led the league in field goal percentage. And by led the league, I also mean led every single person to play in the NBA ever. So there is that. Miller also made good use of Ntilikina and his untapped versatility, using him both a lead guard and combo guard. He also did something that was once considered the impossible, getting Ntilikina to drive into the paint more. He managed to form a nice pick and roll tandem with Robinson by seasons end.
Of course, Miller had some flaws, and understandably so, he was coaching for his basketball life. The same basketball life he scraped and clawed his way through. Admittedly, his rotations were not always the best, and he gave far more minutes to veterans than we would have liked to see, especially with the playoffs all but out of reach. But his job was to win as many basketball games as he could, and for a guy who needs every bit of an edge to prove himself, he did it the best way he thought he could. And while that may or may not have included playing Bobby Portis an incredibly frustrating amount of minutes every night, Miller still, for the most part, got the best out of his players.
A CASE FOR CONTINUITY
If there is one thing the Knicks need more than anything, it is consistency. Structure. A common vision. With the return of Scott Perry, Leon Rose seems to think so too. Perry was given an uncommon second life under Rose, and with Miller unable to finish out the season, it might be in the teams best interest to see what he could do with a better roster and a full year under his belt.
And while his journey to becoming the Knicks head coach is unusual, it is not all that unprecedented. Look at Toronto Nick Nurse, who was hired from the teams G League to lead the Raptors to a championship in the first year. Make no bones about it, there will not be a championship trophy in NYC next season, but having the infrastructure and continuity in place could lead them in the right direction.
Miller might not be a flashy name, a decorated coach, or a boisterous personality. But he has proven to have the temperament to coach in New York, and he knows the game backward and forward. Considering he has already made a solid impression on Rose, do not totally write off Miller as the head coach next season if things do not work out with their first, and seemingly only, choice. After all, it has happened before.
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