Before the 3-point shot became a staple of the NBA landscape, former Orlando Magic player Mike Miller centered his game around the arc.
His perimeter prowess makes former Magic All-Star point guard Penny Hardaway believe Miller could be the 3-point leader in today’s game. That distinction belongs to future Hall of Famer Steph Curry.
“If a young Mike Miller comes out right now, I’m competing him against anybody for the all-time 3-point record,” Hardaway said on The OGs Show, hosted by Miller and Udonis Haslem.
“He was great at what he did, as he got older, he got limited touches, but he had to make all those joints count,” Hardaway added. “Every time he released it, you thought it was going in.”
Following Hardaway’s departure from Orlando, the Magic selected Miller fifth in the draft. In his first season, Miller shot 40.7 percent from the 3-point line while playing all 82 games. He earned Rookie of the Year for the 2000-01 season.
“I had to put value in that one or two threes that I was getting,” Miller said. “You had to make them.”
Miller’s perimeter percentages dipped in the following two years with the Magic, but he regained his production after being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies.
“You had enough pride to be like ‘If I’m not making these joints, I gotta get myself in position to make them,” Hardaway said.
Throughout 17 seasons, Miller knocked down 40.7 percent of his 3-point attempts. He is No. 43 all-time with 1,590 made 3-pointers.
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Don Strouble is a contributor to the Magic Insider. He can be reached at dondrums727455@gmail.com
