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Wizards fans know C.J. Miles for all of the wrong reasons. Whether it was knocking down nine three-pointers as a member of the Indiana Pacers or hitting timely threes as a member of the Toronto Raptors, it’s safe to say that we’re all familiar with Miles’ work.
The former #wizardskiller signed a one-year deal in Washington this summer. The big question is, does he still have any magic left that he once used to torch the team he’s now currently on?
His 2018-19 Season
Miles is looking to put is 2018-2019 campaign in the rearview mirror immediately. For the first time since 2014, the 32-year-old vet averaged just single-digit scoring figures. An even bigger concern for Miles was that it looked like he lost his fastball a bit last year. Miles’ three-point shooting was down as he knocked down just 33 percent of his three-point attempts - the worst he’s shot from distance since 2012.
On top of his shooting numbers dipping a bit, the injury bug bit Miles last season. Miles played in just 53 games last year, the fewest since 2014, his final season as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
To throw a monkey wrench on what was already a down season, Miles was traded from a championship caliber team in the Toronto Raptors to a bottom feeder in the Memphis Grizzles as he was included in the Raptors’ trade for Marc Gasol. Not making excuses for him, but being traded from a top tier team to one of the worst in the league had to be a gut punch.
What His 2019-2020 Season Could Look Like
Miles’ 2019-2020 season is not off to a good start. He had surgery on his foot back in July to repair a stress fracture and was only expected to miss six weeks. Fast forward 10 weeks and Miles was last seen in a walking boot and has yet to play in a preseason game.
Miles is looking for a bounce back season after a down year where he shot just 36 percent from the field and missed 29 games due to injury - not to mention, being dealt to Memphis midway through the season. The veteran likely viewed Washington as an opportunity to get his numbers up in hopes of landing a longer term and richer contract in the Summer of 2020.
Assuming Miles gets healthy sooner rather than later, a lot of his success could depend on the coaching staff. With Troy Brown Jr. also suffering a setback with hopes of returning to the court soon, the two will likely be battling for the starting small forward spot. This brings up the question, will coach Scoot Brooks start the wily veteran in Miles or will he opt to go with the Wizards’ long-term plan in Brown Jr.?
At the end of the day, it doesn’t feel like Miles will have a big role on the Wizards in 2019-2020. The team is under a new regime and is focused on rebuilding, not winning now. Therefore, Miles is likely better suited as a three-point specialist on a contending team. I’m not expecting Miles to be a big contributor for Washington this year and wouldn’t be surprised if he’s traded to a playoff team by the deadline.