Blazer's Edge reported earlier today that Patty Mills broke his foot in practice, and will miss the entire summer league. It's yet another setback for Mills, the dynamic point guard out of St. Mary's who I thought was the steal of the NBA Draft.
Physically, Mills never did look like much - 6-0, 180 lbs. - but the guy could score like you wouldn't believe, and in his two years in the WCC he helped turn the conference around, and proved it was more than just "Gonzaga and everyone else."
In his freshman season in 2008, Mills averaged 14 points per game and helped guide St. Mary's to an NCAA tournament bid. Later that summer, Mills had a breakout performance with Australia in the Beijing Olympics, averaging a team-high 14.2 points off the bench in six games.
He carried his success over into the 08-09 season with St. Mary's, and led them to an 18-1 start and a national ranking. On Jan. 29, he ventured into the Kennel at Gonzaga, and found himself in a breakout game. Mills hit six 3-pointers in the first half, seemingly from all angles. There seemed to be no stopping him. Gonzaga, usually so confident on their home floor, suddenly had an uneasy feeling in their stomach. Only the best players make conference powerhouses tremble like that. His performances leading up to halftime of that game were what cemented his place on the national stage.
But late in the first half, Mills fell to the ground while jostling with Jeremy Paro. Mills stuck out his hand to break his fall - but what he broke, was his shooting wrist. Mills wouldn't return for that game, or the nine others after that. By the time he rushed back for the WCC tournament, it was clear his hand wasn't ready. He shot a combined 5 for 28 in the conference tournament, with the Gaels eventually losing to the Zags in the championship game.
There were flashes of his talent after that - 27 points against Washington State and 23 points against Davidson in the NIT, but his shooting percentage and ballhandling ability suffered.
But my view of Patty Mills was limited because of my ties to Gonzaga. For a more in-depth view, I turned to my good friend Bryan Navarro, a member of St. Mary's Gaelvision TV network who covered St. Mary's at the WCC Tournament:
"Patty Mills put Saint Mary's on the collegiate basketball radar in his two-year tenure. Now that he's leaving, it's difficult to believe that we'll remain there.
Of the three active Australians on the 07-08 St. Mary's team, Patty seemed the least impressive. Maybe it's because he didn't draw attention to himself the way the others did. At MidKnight Madness, the annual start of season rally, he didn't do anything remarkable as most of the other ballers do. Around campus he didn't tower over students or have to duck under door frames to enter classrooms (Omar Samhan). He looked like an average 5-foot 10-inch kid with a slightly muscular build and a goofy smile.
...As a sophomore, Mills' game got better.
Patty's sophomore year started with the brilliance everyone now expected of him. His world-class experience gave him an unprecedented edge over other players and used it to lead.
One of the best memories Patty provided last year was hitting a go-ahead three against Santa Clara with only two seconds left. Obviously he was the go-to guy but somehow got open anyway and launched a teardrop that hung forever before falling through the back of rim.
...The other best Patty moment of the year was his entrance at the 18-minute mark of the WCC Tourney game against Portland. In classic form, Mills went coast-to-coast, drove hard, laid the ball of the glass, made the bucket, drew a foul, and ended up sliding around the floor.
...I understand that this was a relatively weak draft and Mills could've become a better pick because of that void. And if this year taught Gaels one thing, its that injuries can happen to anyone at anytime. Another serious injury and Mills falls out of draft conversation completely.
That said, Mills had a lot to gain from returning to Moraga for another year. With Diamon Simpson graduating, Mills would have been the go-to scorer (if he wasn't already). He would start every single game. He would also leave a better last impression after having lack luster post-injury stats.
Mills' strengths (speed, control, ability to create and finish shots) could have been slightly improved, but what really needed development is his transition to playing his uptempo transition game to a set-up offense. Too many times has he tried to slalom around players near the key and tossed up a shot that rims out.
But every now and then that shot falls in and gets McKeon Pavillion roaring.
That's what you get with Patty Mills."
Mills has tons of talent. He's a great, determined scorer, a good ballhandler, and he's quick. He carried that St. Mary's team to the heights they achieved. Ask anyone who watched a WCC game the past two years, without Mills, the Gaels would've just been another fledgling team in a mid-major conference. His wrist injury is what made him slip in the NBA draft, but I think Portland got a steal with him at no. 55.
But now, with a broken foot, the future looks hazy for Mills' NBA chances.
Still, Mills is a warrior, and a winner. He proved that through his two years of college and in the Olympics. You'd have to think someone like him can find a home in the NBA when he comes back from this injury. We've seen too much talent from him to think otherwise. The Blazers might never get a chance to know what they're going to miss from Mills, but maybe somewhere down the road, he gets another shot to show what he can do.
'Til then, we'll always have Moraga.
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