Welcome to a brand spanking new edition of McCready Malarkey.  In this issue we?ll be taking a look at Andre Miller?s resurgence this year and why TJ Ford is receiving some jeers in Hogtown.

Is Andre Miller the best point guard in the Eastern Conference?

When the deal first went down, I thought the 76ers were ripped off when they traded away Allen Iverson.

Andre Miller is proving me dead wrong.

Miller himself was expected to do big things from the moment he entered the league.  Selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers eighth overall, Miller had a very impressive rookie season when he was named to the All-Rookie first team.  His improvement continued in his second year as he led the Eastern Conference in assists per game and by his third, the entire league.  Everything was pointing towards Andre 7000 being one of the league's best points for the next decade.  Then things started to go bad. LA Clipper bad.

Yep, Miller got traded to a place where all good things NBA (Tim Thomas' comeback and Elton Brand's knee being two more recent examples) go to die, Clipperland.  The Clips hailed him as a savior to their point guard problem, but the season was a complete disaster.  His shot abandoned him as his FG% dropped to a shade over forty percent.  And, it wasn't just his game that was being tarnished but his reputation as a teammate, as well.  The Clipper environment was poisonous at that point. Namely, all the players hated each other.  Despite a roster that had Elton Brand, Corey Maggette, Miller, and Lamar Odom, the team only won 27 games.

The Denver Nuggets called with a contract offer that the Clips refused to match, and Miller's game returned although by then the novelty had worn off.  He was no longer viewed as one of the leagues' up-and-coming stars but rather as a former malcontent putting up decent, not great, numbers on a team clearly led by Carmelo Anthony.  Despite the team's turnaround with him as the lead point, the media had forgotten about Andre Miller.

It seemed like the front office forgot about him too when he was traded along with a few picks for Allen Iverson.  It was a risky move for the 76ers as Miller couldn't co-exist with a young rebuilding team in LA, what would be different in Philadelphia?

The difference is that Miller has matured as a person and a player; he truly is the leader for this 76er team.  He has good size at 6-2 and the bulk to bully his way into the lane past smaller point guards.  His passing skills are superb, and his decision-making is crucial for this young and athletic team.

Meanwhile, Iverson's Denver squad seems a bit disappointing considering the team's talent.  Both Iverson and Anthony's defining characteristics on the court are their abilities to take over a game offensively.  While it's a huge advantage to have two players capable of doing that, their skills are still a bit redundant.

Unlike Iverson, Miller has a team in front of him that compliments his skills perfectly.

Samuel Dalembert's improvement this year is a big story.  His rebounding and block numbers are both up from last year while he has also cut back on his fouls.  Maybe it was playing for the Canadian National team?  While playing internationally, it seemed like Big Sam realized what kind of effect a true big man can have on a team.

Thad Young and Reggie Evans are two solid options to have at the power forward spot.  Evans is a energy player with a bit of a dirty streak in him.  He's relentless on the boards and will pull down some of the most impressive rebound per 48 minute numbers in the league.  However, his game is completely devoid of skill.  Rookie Thad Young, on the other hand, is nearly the opposite player. He's young and athletic and has legitimate range on his jumper.

Andre Igoudala is one of those players whose skills could integrate into any team in the league.  His athleticism is spellbinding; he creates for teammates; and his defensive skills are among the best in the league at his position.  His turnovers are high, but that's because he's miscast as a team's primary scoring option.  He's not a number one guy but would be an amazing number two.

All of these players have a role that compliments Miller's game nicely.  I still think Billups is still the best point guard in the Eastern Conference with Andre at a close second.  Of course, Jose Calderon supporters would have something to say about that bronze medal...

Let's all hate TJ Ford!

As anyone who has read my articles on a regular basis has probably figured out I watch some professional wrestling.  The thing that interests me more than anything else about the sport/profession/soap opera/choreographed dance fight is the crowd reactions.  Two men going out to pretending to fight in front of a crowd, each vying to get strong, yet different, public reactions.  I've had a long fascination with how and why crowds react the way they do. It's contagious, as only a few hundred cheering in a crowd of thousands can whip the entire crowd into a frenzy.  Most of the time I understand a crowd's reaction to sporting events, having observed it my entire life.  However, something recently really confused me in Toronto.

So your plucky young point guard is enjoying his finest season and in the middle of a 26 point, 8 assist gem when a rookie commits a flagrantly dumb foul that has him taken off the court and contemplating retirement.

His replacement in the starting lineup is enjoying such a fine season that there's talk of him joining the All-Star team, but regardless the young man trains his ass off and returns in only a few months.

His return from injury is a bit rough; he doesn't enjoy coming off the bench.  Within ten games of his returning, the crowd begins to show their disapproval of the young man by booing him. So what are the reasons that Toronto are booing and cheering Ford?

Reasons to cheer

1. His playing style: He's an enthusiastic player with great handles and passing skills while also being among the top five quickest players in the league. He also plays hard at both ends of the court.

2. His look: He's a small player and everyone loves an underdog.

3. He's committed: Re-signed with the team, showing commitment and admiration for the city. He also returned from a potentially career threatening injury to return for the team's playoff run.

4. Good guy: He's well liked by his teammates and media. Does a lot of community work.

5. Plays with a swagger.

Reasons to boo

1. Decision making: Can forget about teammates sometimes and shoot the ball too often.

2. Attitude: Appears to sulk on the bench.

3. Roster construction: Having two quality starting point guards might seem redundant.

4. Plays with a swagger.

To understand why someone is being booed, one must look at the source.  Toronto Raptor fans have a major insecurity problem about their team and their opinions stemming from the days when NBA players would shun the franchise by choosing not to resign with the team (Tracy McGrady) or refusing to report when traded to the team (Kenny Anderson).  Ironically enough, the only player from that era who accepted market value to play for the team is the franchise's equivalent to Mummra.

Basketball circles used to regard Toronto as hockey first and ignorant of the basic elements of basketball.  Maybe to prove to themselves that times have changed, they are some of the most demonstrative fans in the league. Demonstrative in a good positive sense, but they're also, maybe, the most vindictive crowd in the league.  Since the days of Vince Carter and ACL injuries, this fanbase seems obsessed that their players play through their injuries.  The two swingmen players who played hurt enough to satisfy the masses were Morris Peterson and Alvin Williams.  All they had to do was to either become the league's ironman player for most consecutive games played (Morris Peterson) or completely destroy every joint in his lower body so that his career is literally chopped off at the legs (Alvin Williams).  This behavior should give Chris Bosh much to think about when he can test the free agent waters in 2010. With the lack of commitment and loyalty the fans show to their players, why should he show any loyalty and commitment back when he's only one injury away from being booed out of the arena?

When it comes to knowledgeable fans in Toronto, the times have changed.  The Raptors have been in existence since Jurassic Park was popular.  Toronto IS a good basketball city, and once these fans can truly believe that, they'll hopefully get over themselves.  Not that Toronto is the only city guilty of excessive booing; remember when Cleveland fans booed LeBron James, of all people, a couple years ago?

Real basketball fans know that the best way to support the home team is to, you know, typically cheer for them and boo the opposing team.  In the game against Detroit, it's not like the fans began booing after an extended period of terrible play, they booed after a missed (but open) three point shot.  That's not demonstrating basketball smarts, that's demonstrating pettiness.

It only takes a few hundred to get thousands into a frenzy, and it seems like the booing of Ford has really subsided in the last few games.  TJ Ford has been a starter his entire life at every level; it's understandable that he would struggle to adjust to a role off the bench.  In fact, it was Jose Calderon's idea that he return to the bench because he's very productive in that role.  For those reasons, I'm imploring Raptor fans to not boo TJ Ford just to cheer for Jose Calderon.

Any Questions, Comments or A Friendly Hello? Email Matt McCready at mattmccready@gmail.com