Sports
Robinson, on the other hand, became the cornerstone of a franchise. He got his ring, and when he left, he passed the torch on to a team that was much better than the one that he joined in ‘87. Sure, they needed Tim Duncan to finish the job; but he needed Duncan in exactly the same way that Miller would have needed O’Neal in ‘04-‘05 (yes, I do believe that the Pacers would have taken the title this year, if not for the events of Nov. 19th). Beyond his impact as a player, Robinson became the model of the kind of person that the Spurs wanted to build their team around . . . Robinson the dedicated Navy man led directly to Duncan the four year collegian, with guys like Sean Elliot, Robert Horry, Bruce Bowen, and other work-first sorts playing under the direction of Greg Popovich, an old-school Larry Brown (minus the personal baggage) type coach. And while the Spurs had a slightly better NBA history than the Pacers (George Gervin made the ABA-NBA jump better than any player who stayed with the same franchise), the trajectories are similar.
So now we’re down to Robinson and Miller, the 1st and 11th picks of the ‘87 draft. Who would have thought, given the paucity of that draft, that two of the most important players in the history of the NBA would spring forth? Robinson and Miller weren’t as important as Magic and Bird to the NBA in general, but it is clear that they were the building blocks for the franchises that will dominate the next ten years, the San Antonio Spurs and the Indiana Pacers (by the way, that shudder you feel while reading those words is nothing more than an echo of David “Godfather” Stern and various TV sports execs cringing in disapproval).
Between Miller and Robinson, I choose Miller, though it’s a close contest. The thing is this: Robinson was always a company man, happy to be part of the plan, while the chip on Miller’s shoulder set the tone for an entire franchise. Although the Pacers lost their shot at the 2000 title, I will always be fond of Miller’s island of misfit toys: the clumsy 7′ 4″ center who was an offensive weapon in spite of himself and his broken feet (Rik Smits), the bodyguard thug who turned out to be a decent baller as well as a first-rate enforcer (Dale Davis), the step-slow but step-smart point (Mark Jackson). Throw in Derrick McKey, Austin Croshere (you never lived up to the contract that they gave you after this, did you?), Travis Best, Jalen Rose, Sam Perkins (canning 3-pointers from the wing, defining the final act for big men on their way out - decoys inside, scorers outside), Chris Mullin (close to the Hall, but not quite), and you practically have an after-school special. Robinson was the blueprint, but Miller was the man.
Defining history, Robinson and Miller didn’t have much precedent: sure, the Spurs had George Gervin, but whom else? James Silas? Donnie Freeman (who, Spurs and Pacers ABA fans can both attest, was one of the great lost ballers)? George Karl (damn sure not as a player)? Swen Nater?
And Miller? Sticking only to the NBA, who do you have? Alex English? Adrian Dantley? Don Buse? I don’t think so.