Miles high

Sporting News, The, Feb 12, 2001 by Stan McNeal

Clippers rookie Darius Miles takes TSN on one of his frequent flights

When the Clippers made Darius Miles the third choice in the draft last June, it was the highest pick ever spent on a high school player--two spots higher than Kevin Garnett, 10 places ahead of Kobe Bryant. Miles, a 19-year-old forward, has jumped from East St. Louis (Illinois) High School to the NBA with ease--well, at least when it comes to his favorite shot, the dunk.

Baby steps

The first time: Miles remembers dunking when he was in fifth grade on an outdoor court at an elementary school in East St. Louis. About 5-10 at the time, Miles says he had been trying to dunk since he first touched the rim in third grade.

In a game: Junior high, seventh grade, with two hands.

In the pros: His first basket was a layup. His second was a fast-break dunk.

Frequent flyer

Team leader: Miles entered the week with 69 dunks, by far the most on the Clippers. Corey Maggette is second with 29. In a show of restraint, the league does not keep dunking stats, but the Clippers and Timberwolves do. Miles has outdunked his favorite player, Garnett, who has 65.

Hig-percentage shot: Incredibly, more than 40 percent of Miles' baskets have come with his hands in the basket. He's shooting 47.5 percent from the field, but subtract the dunks, and his shooting drops to 35 percent. On a recent fast break, Miles slowed down to get his steps right for a dunk and lost the ball. Clippers coach Alvin Gentry, a mild-mannered sort, lost his cool. "This is not (bleeping) high school," he yelled.

Rookie grades

Strengths: Besides the naturally good hops, Miles gets off the floor quickly, even by NBA standards, and he has exceptionally long arms. It also doesn't hurt that he's 6-9. Miles' ability to run the open floor is one reason why Kings forward Chris Webber says the Clippers are his favorite team to watch on the satellite dish.

Weaknesses: Miles weighs barely 200 pounds, a scary proposition considering he's the same height as 260-pound Karl Malone. Added strength and weight will come with time; improving his midrange jump shot will take more practice--and perhaps less dunking.

Dunk-time decisions

Dunk or shoot? "Depends on the situation. If it's for the game-winner, it looks better if it's off a jumper. If I'm in the open court, dunk."

Dunk or block? Miles might be the league's youngest player, but he's old enough to appreciate the importance of defense. He says he likes to block shots even more than dunk--and he has numbers that prove it. Miles averaged 7.2 blocks during his senior year of high school, and he has more blocks (70) than dunks (69) as a pro.

One leg or two? One. "I can bring it through my legs on the way up, and dunk like Kobe jumping off one leg. Two legs, I can't do it."

Dunk he can't do: 360 windmill.

Poster time

Best dunk: Over the Pacers' Jermaine O'Neal in the preseason.

Victimized: "(Raef) LaFrentz (of the Nuggets) dunked on me twice in a row. Anybody can get dunked on any time. Dikembe Mutombo may block a lot of shots, but he's going to get dunked on. You can't block every dunk."

Favorite dunkers: Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady and Bryant.

Favorite dunkers under 6-5: Steve Francis and Baron Davis.

Favorite dunkers, all-time: Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins. "Jordan for his finesse; Dominique for the explosiveness."

Favorite dunk: Any. Any. "I'm never open enough in a fast break to have time to think about what I'm going to do." With his long arms, the one-handed windmill from a cradle position is a poster waiting to happen.

Team player

For starters: In the Clippers' first five games, Miles started at guard. Then he came off the bench until January, when he started 14 straight games at power forward and averaged 11.3 points and 7.9 rebounds. An illness and his lack of bulk landed him back on the bench last week, but don't expect him to stay there for long.

Good start: Though they'll be battling the Warriors the rest of the season to avoid last place in the Pacific Division, the Clippers have had their share of impressive games--including victories over the Knicks and the Blazers and the end of a 16-game losing streak against the Lakers with a 23-point win.

What's ahead

All-Star weekend: You won't see any Clippers on Sunday, but Miles, Lamar Odom and Quentin Richardson will play in Saturday's Rookie Challenge; giving Miles a chance to go against Odom on a national stage.

He's not alone: The team that made Michael Olowokandi the No. 1 pick in the 1998 draft, bypassing Vince Carter among others, has redeemed itself the past two years. The Clippers took Odom fourth in 1999 and reaped a promising bonanza of Miles, Richardson, Keyon Dooling and second-year forward Corey Maggette on draft day last June.

The key: In New York, it is assumed Odom will sign with his hometown Knicks as soon as he becomes a free agent after next season. If Odom leaves, Miles says, Clippers owner Donald Sterling might experience the familiar pain of losing this year's rookies when they have the chance to go. If the Clippers can keep Odom--and he says he at least will consider staying--they someday could he battling the Lakers for prime space on the Staples Center marquee.