Episode #6: Oh Captain, My Captain

Episode Six of The Miller Time Podcast finds Jon Filet and Flava Dave lamenting the loss of Danny Granger for the rest of the season, discussing the reemergence of Roy Hibbert, question whether or not Brandon Jennings deserves a max contract, ponder why Mike Dunleavy went rogue, talk wrestling, four point plays, Tyler Hansbrough's new game plan and much more!

To listen to the show in your browser, click here.

To listen to the show in iTunes, click here.

To listen to the show through RSS, click here.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter.

Sizing up a Pacers / Heat Eastern Conference Finals

Pacers forward Danny Granger (right) confronts Heat forward LeBron James (left).

By Jon R. LaFollette

All season long, NBA pundits, commentators and fans have speculated about one question.

Who can contend with the Miami Heat?

In the Western Conference it's a short list. Only Oklahoma City, San Antonio and Memphis have the size, depth and talent to thwart LeBron and company's quest for a repeat.

In an Eastern Conference without Derrick Rose, Dwight Howard, Andrew Bynum and Rajon Rondo, many have simply ceded the conference title to Miami. And who wouldn't? The Heat's roster sports three of the top 50 players in the league - including the best player in the world who has been typically unstoppable and magnificent for much of this season. Just to wow you for a moment, here is LeBron's stat line for this season:

27 p/g 7 ass/g 8 reb/g 2 stl/g 56% FG 41% 3P 75% FT  

He's nearly averaging a triple-double and shooting lights out while carrying himself as if he were on cruise control. The scariest thought? He could get even better. 

Remember the onset of this season when it was a three dog race for the MVP between LeBron, Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony (CARMELO FRIGGIN' ANTHONY?!)?

No more.

Anthony has regressed to his ball-hogging and empty-shooting ways, and Durant, while spectacular in his own right (averaging an all too quite 29 p/g 5 ass/g 8 reb/g 2 stl/g and 1 blk/g) hasn't been quite as dominant the way LeBron has been this season. For now, this is King James' league, and everyone else simply exists in it.

Larry Bird consulted Danny Granger about drafting Paul George.

Pictured: Two hard-asses.

An excellent article from Bill Reiter of Fox Sports delves into the relationship, and chemistry, between Danny Granger and Paul George. With Granger slowly working his way back from knee tendonosis and George emerging as a star, some pundits have questioned whether or not the two guards can coexist. And while the majority of the story deals with the respect between the two players (George says Granger has "been like a brother."), there is an interesting nugget which describes just how PG became a Pacer.

“(Paul and I) had gone through the draft and we were working out together,” Granger said. “It was the day of draft day, and – we have the same agent – I’d been working out with him for about a month. So I got about five calls from Larry Bird. Larry Bird never calls me. And he’s like, ‘Danny, I need you to call me back. Danny, I need you to call me back.’ 

“Finally, I call him back, and he’s like, ‘Ah, what do you think of this kid Paul George?’ 

“I’ve been working out with Paul.” 

“He’s like, ‘Yeah, tell me what you think.’’’ 

“I say, ‘You better take him.’ That’s what I’m saying. ‘Dude, you gotta take him.’ 

“Is he good?” Bird asked. 

“Dude. He’s really, really good.” 

“All right, that’s all I wanted to hear,” Bird said. “Bye.” 

“And that was it,” Granger says. “And later that night we selected him.”

Episode #2: Scuffle

Pacers center Roy Hibbert and Warriors forward David Lee get involved in a shoving match. 

On this week's episode of the Miller Time podcast, @JonFilet and @DaveSearle break down the back-to-back blowouts of the Pistons, the return of Danny Granger, the altercation (and fallout) involving Roy Hibbert and David Lee, discuss whether the Pacers are being disrespected, ponder if Tyler Hansbrough is a dirty player, preview the upcoming week of games - including the Clippers and the Bulls, compare David West to animals, and much more! Listen below. Be sure to follow us on Twitter as well.