Timberwolves Milestone Watch
Oct 14, 2015; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Andre Miller (24) gets past Toronto Raptors guard Cory Joseph (6) in a pre-season matchup at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports
Andre Miller
Milestones to watch: Assists, Rebounds, Games Played
Andre Miller is a model of longevity.
He has never been a star in this league, but he has gone about his business for the last 16 years and counting. He’s bounced around, playing on eight different teams (including the Wolves), but that has not affected his game in the slightest. He’s just always there, bullying smaller guards in the post and making smart passes at the right times.
His biggest contributions this year will come from teaching Rubio and Tyus Jones, but he is also in range of a few different milestones.
First, he could pass the 9,000 assist threshold. He already sits in ninth-place all-time with 8,437, and could move ahead of Gary Payton with 530 more. He piled up 556 assists five years ago, which would place him ahead of Payton but just short of 9,000.
Last year, however, when he averaged about 15 minutes per game, he only recorded 284. That’s probably comparable to how much game time he’ll average this year, so it looks like he won’t quite be able to pass The Glove.
Miller also has 4,744 rebounds in his career. Fun fact: Miller has about 600 more rebounds than Prince. Miller has played in three more seasons than Prince, but he’s a 6′-2″ point guard while Prince is a 6’-9” small forward. What Miller has done on the glass in his career is nothing less than impressive.
He is nearing 5,000 rebounds, needing 256 to make it there. Last year, he only grabbed 153 boards, but with an uptick of just over a rebound more per game, he could make it to 5,000.
Lastly, Miller is one of the longest tenured players ever in terms of games played. He is presently tied with Dirk Nowitzki for 24th place with 1,265 games played. Miller appeared in 81 games last year, so even though he may not get a lot of minutes, he’ll reliably be at the ready every game.
If he is able to play in most games again this season, he could move into the top-15 all-time.
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