There are still Miami Heat fans who are shuffling around South Beach wondering what happened this summer. Their basketball team now has a banged up Josh Roberts, Chris Bosh on a max deal, and veritable third scorer and perimeter defender Luol Deng after losing LeBron James in free agency. According to former Heat and current Cavs sharpshooter, Mike Miller, LeBron thought Miami’s amnesty of Miller before the 2013-14 season was an “unnecessary change.”
By way of Chris Haynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, comes Miller’s assessment of James’ mindset when Miller was let go last summer so the Heat could save $17 million in luxury taxes:
“LeBron thought it was an unnecessary change,” Miller revealed to Northeast Ohio Media Group. “I’m not saying I would have been a difference-maker. San Antonio was unbelievable last year and there are a lot of things that go into a season, but it was difficult for LeBron.
“It was difficult for all of us. It was difficult for me. I had to uproot my family and move again. It was tough. I think he was disappointed because he understands legacies and he understands what he wants to do in life. That’s what makes him special.”
[…]
“It was a tough pill to swallow for both of us,” Miller said. “That team went through a lot. The same thing this team is hoping to go through. You’re going to have ups and downs and you grow close. For me, I had a great relationship with LeBron and still have. It was extremely difficult.
“But it also meant a lot to me to see how much they cared, specifically LeBron and those guys, that I meant so much to them. Because at the end of the day, all you have are your teammates.
Obviously, the Heat got back to the Finals without Miller, but they could have used his shooting against San Antonio — though we doubt it would have changed the outcome.
The Heat’s heart-felt mob scene when Miller received his 2012-13 championship ring when they played in Memphis last season is a pretty clear indication of his status as a sound teammate, deadly shooting and positive locker-room presence.
Miller was the first person James called when he decided he was heading home, and Miller even offered up some clues about James’ future in a tongue-in-cheek Instagram post over the summer.
After appearing in all 82 games with the Grizzlies last season, Miller still managed to shoot 45.9 percent from beyond the three-point arc, the third time in six seasons Miller has been over the 45 percent threshold. It was also the fourth time in Miller’s career he’s been within the top five for three-point field goal percentage, and he took almost three per game last season.
The craziest part of Miller’s accuracy from deep in what was his 14th season in the L last year? He was even more deadly during Memphis’ brief run in the playoffs, where they were eliminated in seven games against the Thunder in the first round. Miller shot 48.3 percent from deep in seven games (14-for-29) and who can forget all the triplets he drained against the Thunder during the 2012 NBA Finals and the Spurs in the 2013 Finals — including one without a shoe!
While LeBron might hope Miller’s “a lucky charm for him,” as Miller told Haynes, it’s his deadeye shooting that keeps those lanes from getting clogged and allows LeBron to do LeBron things.
Was the amnesty of Mike Miller the beginning of the end for LeBron’s reign in Miami?
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