--Though he calls Portland's starting point guard last season, Steve Blake, "a great player," recently acquired free agent Andre Miller doesn't expect to be a reserve this season.
"I'm going in there as the starting point guard -- there's nothing else to it," he said. "I look at it as a challenge. Nothing is handed to you. So I have to go in there with the right attitude, knowing that this is a point guard spot that is going to have to be battled for." --Rudy Fernandez suffered a leg injury while training with the Spanish national team for the European Championships.
The 6-5 shooting guard is expected to be out seven-to-10 days after suffering what was described as a "thigh contusion."
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I'm thrilled about that. From the moment I came in with Coach Nate, he has been nothing but great for me. A lot of young guys have their highs and lows when they come into the league. Mine have been limited because of my relationship with the coach. I don't know if it's because of the Seattle connection, but I've always had a feel for what he wants. It goes both ways. During my rookie year, he said, 'You have a lot of pressure, but you're not out there alone.' We're comfortable with one another, we trust each other, there's nothing we can't say to one another. I know I didn't want to change coaches. We have a good thing going." -- Brandon Roy, on the contract extension Portland gave coach Nate McMillan.
