Darius Miller showing steady improvement in NBA return

At his current rate of improvement, I fully expect to see Darrius Miller rocketing up the MVP ladder in the months to come. Okay. Maybe a little bit of an exaggeration. But there is a very real reason why Darius Miller has become such a fan favorite in New Orleans.

Direction.

In a league with as much social chatter as the NBA, direction means a lot. People do not look at the NBA in a static form (although recency bias is a very powerful phenomenon). Instead, they look at where teams and players have been, where they are now and thus where they are likely to be in the future. It’s for this reason we love talking about new rookies with high upside and young up and coming teams.

So what makes a player like Darius Miller so popular?

Well, in short, it’s because he got off to a somewhat difficult start to his NBA return. Finishing out October with a three-point shooting percentage closer to my respective shoe size (14) than a respectable NBA shooting percentage from anywhere on the court, things did not look good. But then, as they often do, things turned around. Darius Miller caught fire, found his role and became a highly important player in the Pelicans rotation during this critical season.

So Miller’s shooting was his first and most noticeable progression. Playing a big part in the Pelicans rise up the three-point shooting rankings as the season ebbed on. It became clear Miller was at his most effective when operating beyond the three-point arc where he could flex his impressive 43.6% three-point shooting percentage.

However, Miller has also demonstrated a good ability to remain effective when chased off the three-point line this season. Although this was not always the case, which brings me to his next progression this season. Passing.

It is important to recognize that Miller does possess a very smooth and lethal mid-range pull-up game. But I’m more interested in his playmaking ability, specifically when driving to the rim. To begin the season his drives often appeared indecisive and frequently resulted in turnovers.

However, fast forward to the present and in most games, you will see at least one sequence in which Miller drives into or towards the paint, before whipping the ball out to an open shooter or to a cutter for an easy layup.

This style of play fits into exactly what the Pelicans offense is trying to achieve this season by keeping the ball moving for open looks. Darius Miller has done a great job fitting in with this system. As a result, Miller’s assists per 36 minutes have seen an increase every month so far this season.

His next improvement?

Well, hopefully, defense. In general, Miller has struggled somewhat on the defensive end this season, registering a 109.1 defensive rating. Not great. On the other hand, he is showing some signs of improvement and his effort (an area of concern for the Pels) has looked much better.

Sadly, Miller has been committing fouls at a dangerously high rate as of late. Over his last ten games, he has averaged 4.6 fouls per 36 minutes. It’s difficult to find a rhythm when you have to keep being pulled from the game due to foul trouble.

Next: New Orleans Pelicans get lured back to .500, lose to Grizzlies

Nonetheless, Darius Miller fits well with what the Pelicans are trying to do and has had several spectacular moments so far this season. Let’s just hope he can keep his rate of progression up. That MVP trophy isn’t going to win its self.