:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/44279962/usa-today-8249058.0.jpg)
According to a postgame release from the Cleveland Cavaliers, forward Mike Miller is suffering from concussion-like symptoms and has been placed on the NBA's concussion protocol list. As result, Miller will stay in New York overnight as the Cavs' travel to Toronto ahead of tomorrow's game against the Raptors.
#Cavs Mike Miller suffered concussion-like symptoms and has been placed on NBA's concussion protocol. He will remain in New York overnight.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) December 5, 2014
Miller played 12 minutes during the win, recording a rebound, a steal, and two turnovers. Watching the game, there wasn't a specific play where Miller looked like he suffered a blow to the head, but in the tussle of an NBA game, it's not the most surprising thing that something could have happened away from our attention. No specific symptoms were listed, and the Cavs did not actually state that Miller had been diagnosed with a concussion, which makes things somewhat vague.
Miller will be out indefinitely until he meets the NBA's return-to-play criteria. This is a step-by-step process that takes multiple days to complete, with the goal of ensuring proper healing time for the brain, as well as that the player can exercise without recurrence of symptoms of the concussion, a common occurrence. First, Miller will need to have no symptoms of a concussion. Then, he will have to pass a computerized cognitive assessment, which will be compared to a baseline measurement taken at the beginning of the season. Finally, he will complete an exertion progression that will take several days, slowly returning him to play from light activity eventually into full contact. This process takes different amounts of time for different players, but it's safe to say Miller will probably miss at least 3-4 games.
Miller has previously suffered two concussions in his career, per prosportstransactions.com. Both occurred in 2005, one during the 2004-2005 season, and one during the 2005-2006 season when Miller was with the Memphis Grizzlies. He missed 11 days and six days, respectively, with those concussions. How the previous concussions influence his recovery from this one remains to be seen. Regardless, in Miller's wake, look for more minutes for Joe Harris and maybe even James Jones to step into the Cavs rotation.