News and Features

Roster Review: Point Guard

Last Season

The Sixers are pretty set at point guard for next season, with nine-year veteran Andre Miller running the show and 21-year-old Lou Williams backing him up off the bench.

Miller easily put together his finest season as a pro, becoming the Sixers go-to player in crunch time situations. Although Miller's numbers weren’t eye-popping (17.0 points, 6.9 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.28 steals per game) the 32-year old was the Sixers MVP this season. Miller hit countless big shots and consistently found the open man at just the right time. His 17.0 points per game and 49.2% shooting were career highs. Miller was twice named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week (2/4-2/10 and 2/25-3/2), becoming the first Sixer to earn Player of the Week since Allen Iverson in the 2005-06 season.

Behind Miller was third-year guard Lou Williams. Williams had his breakout season this year, getting his first consistent playing time of his career, averaging 23.2 minutes per game. He set career highs in almost every category: 11.5 points, 3.2 assists, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.01 steals per game. LLLOOUUU, as the Wachovia Center would hum, became the Sixers spark off the bench and was considered their Sixth Man. Lou provided instant offense with his lightening quick moves and explosive hops which enabled him to break down opponents and get to the rim with ease. He showed off that explosiveness early in the season, scoring all 19 of his points in the second half of a 25-point comeback win over Portland. The next night out he dropped a season and career high 25 points on the Washington Wizards.

Next Season

It's safe to say that Andre Miller, who is under contract for one more season, isn't going anywhere next year. Miller became a rock for Head Coach Maurice Cheeks, as the Sixers routinely relied on him to become a scoring threat, something Miller never did in his past eight seasons in the NBA. His ability to push the tempo and find the open man in transition helped fuel one of the best fast-break teams in the league.

As for Williams, he remains a restricted free agent, meaning teams can sign him to an offer sheet after July 1. Because of his restricted status, the Sixers do have the right to match any offer, which would bring Williams back to Philly. Considering his age and growth this season as a player, it’s almost impossible to see the Sixers letting Williams go elsewhere. With that said, the Sixers want to see whether Williams will turn into more of a true point guard or remain better acclimated to his combo-guard status.

After the season he had, there isn't much that Andre Miller needs to improve on. The Sixers just hope that he can stay healthy for another year. Miller became the NBA's active Iron Man this season, playing in 448 consecutive games. The nine-year guard has only missed three games in his entire career, so it doesn’t look like he will slow down anytime soon.

coming soon: shooting guard...

This SIXERS.COM season review in no way reflects the ideas or opinions of the Sixers players, coaching staff, scouts or front office.