Reggie Miller close to calling it a career

(INDIANAPOLIS AP - October 4, 2004) - Reggie Miller begins what might be his final
NBA training camp determined to be more aggressive, maybe even a
little selfish. Who could blame him?
      Last season, Miller scored the fewest points of his 17-year
career, preferring to let his younger Indiana Pacers teammates take
the shots and the spotlight. Despite an NBA-best 61 victories in
the regular season, however, Indiana failed to give Miller his
first championship.
      The bitter aftertaste is what motivated him all summer.
      "I put a lot of time in, especially into conditioning my legs
as well as my shot," the 39-year-old Miller said Monday, a day
before the start of camp. "I'm looking to play how I played three
or four years ago, especially in the postseason."
      Miller, with 24,305 points in 1,323 games, is second among
active NBA players in career scoring and third in games played. He
was bothered last summer by an ankle injury he suffered during the
World Basketball Championships and averaged just 10 points a game
for the season, then turned down a chance to play on the U.S.
Olympic team this year to let his body heal.
      "I've got to get a little bit more of my aggression back," he
said. "I want to be a little more aggressive, especially on the
offensive end, because I believe I can help this team out with
perimeter shooting."
      That's fine with coach Rick Carlisle.
      "I have to defer to his judgment. He's the guy that's played 18
years," Carlisle said. "He's been a guy that's been unusually
willing to defer to the younger guys on this team. ... I think all
of us would welcome him being a little more aggressive at times."
      Miller will remain a starter, at least going into the season,
Carlisle said.
      But Reggie won't say whether this will be his final season. He's
under contract only for this year but has an option to return next
year if he wants. And that likely will be determined by his health
and by how well the Pacers fare.
      "I'm going to let my body do its talking," he said. "I know I
have (possibly) two years left, but I'm going to play it by ear. As
for now, I'm focusing on this year, and we'll see about the option
year."
      The 61 victories last year marked a franchise record and gave
Indiana the homecourt advantage in the playoffs. Still, the Pacers
lost twice at home, falling to eventual champion Detroit in the
Eastern Conference finals.
      "Did they have the best talent? Obviously, I don't think so.
But they were the best team," Miller said.
      The Pacers hope to bolster their depth this season with Stephen
Jackson, who was on San Antonio's 2003 championship team and played
last year with Atlanta, where he averaged career-highs with 18.1
points and 4.6 rebounds. Jackson came to Indiana this summer in a
trade with the Hawks for Al Harrington.
      "It only makes us a better team. That's the ultimate goal, to
field a team that can win a championship," Miller said.
      Jackson, a starter with Atlanta, said he's so excited being with
the Pacers, he won't mind coming off the bench.
      "From going to San Antonio to Atlanta was a setback, but it was
also a blessing in disguise," he said. "I've got a great
opportunity to learn from Reggie. This is a chance of a lifetime
for me that I must take advantage of."
      The Pacers also acquired free agent guard Eddie Gill, who was a
CBA All-Star and played 22 games with Portland late last season,
and drafted 7-footer David Harrison and guard Rashad Wright. O'Neal
and Ron Artest, the NBA defensive player of the year, return up
front, along with Miller and Jamaal Tinsley in the backcourt and
Jeff Foster at center.
      Other reserves back this year include Jonathan Bender, Austin
Croshere, Anthony Johnson, Fred Jones, James Jones and Scot
Pollard.
     
      (Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)