In which we surgically weld Steve Blake and Andre Miller into one decent point guard

With the Blazers' recent signing of Andre Miller, I caught up with The Ex-Call Taker's Kevin O'Brien and suggested that the Blazers cybernetically combine Miller and incumbent point guard Steve Blake into one competent point guard.

"Andre Blake? Sounds like an English soccer star," he said. "Steve Miller? Sounds like a white comedian."

(That's why I love the guy.)

Sure, it was a joke, but both Miller and Blake have traits that, if they were combined, would equal the perfect point guard for the Blazers. Blake is a great shooter who can knock down the open 3-pointer, and can run the pick and roll. Miller is bigger, can rebound, and works well in the paint either posting up opposing guards or creating in traffic.

Instead, we're left with the reality - the two men are separate, each with their own pros and cons attached. Now the question is how to make it work.

Miller, for all his skills, needs to have the ball in his hands to contribute, because he's an awful 3-point shooter. The problem is, the Blazers already have a player who excels at having the ball in his hands, and his name is Brandon Roy (perhaps you've heard of him). Roy is not a spot up shooter, he makes his money by driving to the hoop and working off the dribble.

But Blake also has some glaring weaknesses exposed this season. He's about as flimsy as a paper clip, and can't drive to the rim without seeing visions of terrible hospital bills. That means that Roy is the only Blazer starter who is able to drive to the hoop, with the rest of the team standing on the perimeter watching, Blake included. Teams capitalize on this, which forces too many forced shots on the part of Portland. And of course, Blake also plays defense like a screen door. JJ Barea was even making him look foolish.

Yikes.

So yes, there are kinks to be worked out, but I still like the Miller signing. He's one of the smartest point guards in the league, and the Blazers got him on the cheap. He's had experience running the show in systems that have already featured talented scoring swingmen (Carmelo Anthony, Andre Iguodala) and has proven he can contribute without needing to shoot from the outside. Best of all, Miller likes to run, which works well with a young team that struggled in the halfcourt as much as the Blazers did.

Blake, in turn, would be a great backup. Providing the second unit with an experienced guard who can get the ball to the right places, and a steady hand to keep things from coming apart.

Of course, if the option arose, I would be all for the experimental surgery to combine Miller and Blake into the ultimate Blazer point guard. If the technology is available, we must seek it out!

Although, knowing my luck, what we'll be left with could be a slow, aging point guard who has the green light to shoot 3's but can't make any, has the body to post up but is scared to, and plays defense like kid wearing jeans in a pickup game.

Ok, on second thought...