Miller Lite

Like a low-calorie beer, Mike Miller hasn't been filling -- up the stat sheet. That means, also like a light beer, Miller's been unsatisfying. Miller has returned to the Heat, but to little fanfare and even less impact. Through 12 games, he's averaging 4 points in 14 minutes, but connecting on only 37 percent of his shots, 34% on 3's -- his supposed specialty -- and a sub-standard 60% on free throws. Those are lousy numbers for a player whose was brought in solely to shoot effectively, to spread the floor with his range and make defenses pay for double-teaming one of his more famous teammates. Last night (a loss to the resurgent Knicks) was no exception. In 21 minutes, Miller was scoreless, going 0-3 from the floor. His absence due to injury isn't an excuse for his horrid stats. It's not like a shooter needs conditioning or to get back in game shape to start putting the ball in the basket.

This summer, the Heat were presented like they were a blockbuster movie: Bosh, James and Wade, were the leads and Miller was billed as the stand-out member of the supporting cast, but his role has been reduced to that of an extra. The way Mike Miller was talked about while he was out -- that he'd be a cure-all for Miami's early struggles (which they've since overcome with his help) -- you'd have thought he was Reggie Miller. The reality is that Mike Miller has a long history of being overrated. He's the worst player to win Rookie of the Year in the 00s. It's foolish to think a player who's averaged 9 points-per-game in the playoffs and whose teams have never made it past the first round could be the difference between winning a championship or not.

Fortunately, another player with a local college connections, James Jones, (Miller went to Florida and was both teammates and roommates with the true glue guy on the Heat, Udonis Haslem, who might be back in action by March, while Jones attended the U) has filled the void, ranking 14th in the league in threes made this season. With Mario Chalmers inserted into the starting lineup, the Heat are in serious need of point production from the bench, but so far, Miller's been a bigger dud than David Hasslehoff's reality show.