Darius Miles Sees the Light.

Last year when the Blazers acquired Darius Miles there was a lot of fresh excitement surging through the fans. Paul Allen himself was reduced to a giddy teenager at the thought of Darius being a Blazer. Darius did bring excitement back to the Rose Garden but the pains from previous Blazer problems still cast a shadow over the team and the fans. There was much work to do. FLASHBACK(Hoopsworld)

Everyone knows that the Portland Trailblazers have struggled the past few years for various reasons and that last year they didn't make the playoffs for the first time in many many years. The franchise has been at an all time low. The trading of Bonzi Wells and Rasheed Wallace last season is a moment that we all can look back at as the point where the Blazers made an about face and began heading in a new direction. As a fan it has been painful and I am well aware that there will be more changes to come. I dread that because as a fan you get attached to the players and hate to see them go-at least I do.

What I enjoy the most is seeing players like Darius Miles mature and learn what it takes to be a team player. Accepting new and different roles seems to be something that is part of being a Blazer. Often players are asked to play out of position or accept less minutes, mostly due to us always being logjammed at certain positions. Shareef Abdur Rahim is a prime example of this. Through it all Reef has been a trooper. Since the season started, Darius has clearly taken issue with the fact that he is being made to come off the bench and not start. In addition, his minutes have been reduced. When Darius would take to the floor he would try to be the scorer that he thought he should be. The result was a flood of missed shots and missed dunks, probably from trying too hard.

Now Darius is viewing his role through "Ruben Patterson eyes". Ruben has established himself as a dependable, solid role player. Because of this Ruben has become a fan favorite. He has always been happy to come off the bench and go out there and do "all the little things" that help a team win. However mysterious these "little things" may be to some people, they are neccessary for success. I believe that Ruben has now helped Darius see that he too can be this type of player. The things that Darius will learn by being a role player will help his game in the future. The day Darius Miles starts again will be a day that we should see a very well rounded player, that will no doubt be the star that he has always been pegged to be. Keep it up D!

My hope is that this philosophy continues to spread throughout the team. The Blazers are on a good run right now and with players accepting their roles, we may be looking at a much better season than we anticipated!
OregonLive: Coming to terms with role.