Trail Blazers' Miller says Sixers clearly missing the point

Andre Miller, asked what he sees in the current 76ers, invoked an all-too-familiar memory.

"Basically, they're in the same position they were before I got there [in 2006]," the Trail Blazers point guard was saying after practice yesterday afternoon at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. "That's why I got traded [from Denver] to Philly."

For what it's worth, the 25-17 Blazers, despite all their injuries, are 18-8 with Miller in the starting lineup.

"You take certain things for granted," Miller said. "[The NBA] is getting younger and younger. You need solid veterans, whether it's a point guard or a big man, who can help the young guys out. That's not a slap in the face at the young guys; older guys can also offer a little bit of knowledge here and there."

With 6,229 assists, Miller ranks third among active players, behind Jason Kidd, of the Dallas Mavericks, and Steve Nash, of the Phoenix Suns. He was perplexed about coming off the bench early in the season, but seems comfortable with his current role, starting with rising young star Brandon Roy.

"A lot of people made a big deal out of it," said Miller, who played two-plus seasons with the Sixers before signing a 3-year, free-agent deal with Portland last July. "I never made a big deal out of it. I just wanted to know what was going on. It was confusing. I'm a competitor, and any competitive player wants to compete for a spot."

Blazers coach Nate McMillan had planned to use Miller to quarterback an imposing second unit, including Rudy Fernandez, Travis Outlaw, Martell Webster and Joel Przybilla. But Outlaw and Przybilla got hurt, and Webster moved in as a starter for the injured Nicolas Batum.

"We could never get to [that unit]," McMillan said. "He needs the ball, Brandon needs the ball; they've had to adjust. Andre knows how to play. I knew that. I know that [now]. I was a point guard. I know what it means to have a 'feel' for the game. He knows where to go with the ball, what to do, how to set guys up."

The struggling Sixers, though, have no true veteran point guard.

"They're a talented group," Miller said. "I enjoyed playing with those guys; [we were] starting to develop some chemistry. Nowadays, you have a short time to do that. Changes happen . . . It's tough to see them going through that. I know they'll continue to work hard and keep smiles on their faces, but it's a business and you get judged by winning, and they're not doing that."

Marc Cornstein, the longtime agent for Sixers center Samuel Dalembert, confirmed through Dalembert's family members that his client is safe in earthquake-ravaged Haiti, Dalembert's homeland. Dalembert left directly from Minneapolis to join Project Medishare; Cornstein said the plan remains for the 6-11 center to be back in time to play tonight.

"Outside of adrenaline and sheer motivation, I don't know how he's doing it," Cornstein said. "I don't think he has slept 2 hours since [the earthquake]. He's so dedicated. Some people say they are. He is. I told him, I don't think his country could have a better spokesperson."

"I don't think you can teach that," the Sixers' Allen Iverson said after practice yesterday. "That has to be something that's in you already. You've just got to have it. I think you get a killer instinct just wanting to win. You just have to have it, especially in this league with so many great basketball players and great teams. It shows, like [in Monday's loss to Minnesota] . . . Us being up [20] points, those guys had the killer instinct to be able to depend on each other and trust each other and have confidence they [could] get back in the game . . . More than half of the games we lost since I got here should [have been] wins."