LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Clippers and the rest of the NBA saw what point guard Jason Kidd did for the New Jersey Nets last season.

	Miller

The Clippers believe Andre Miller will have the same kind of impact on their team next season.

That was the thinking when they acquired Miller and Bryant Stith from the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday for Darius Miles and Harold Jamison.

"Andre is a player we desperately wanted to get,'' Elgin Baylor, the Clippers' vice president of basketball operations, said at a Staples Center news conference called to introduce the 26-year-old Miller, who grew up in nearby Watts. "We knew we had to give up something to get a player of Andre's quality.

"We didn't want to give up Darius, but we've gotten one of the top point guards in the league. This is a proven player. Darius was a reserve. We gave up a reserve for a player of this stature. I just feel this is a tremendous deal for us.''

That's how it turned out for the Nets last year when they acquired Kidd from Phoenix for Stephon Marbury.

The Clippers are loaded up front, with the likes of veterans Elton Brand, Michael Olowokandi, Lamar Odom and Corey Maggette and rookie first-round draft picks Chris Wilcox and Melvin Ely.

Now, they believe they've got someone to get them the ball.

"I think our team just got a lot more balanced with the addition of Andre, all the way around,'' said Odom, who expects to be fully recovered when training camp begins from injuries to his right wrist and ankle that limited him to 29 games last season.

The 6-foot-2 Miller averaged 16.5 points, an NBA-leading 10.9 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals for the woeful Cavaliers last season.

"I'm happy to be in L.A., my hometown,'' he said. "It's been a long time coming. I'm looking forward to playing for an exciting team. I had a chance to play against the guys the last couple years. I look forward to playing the up-tempo, something I haven't had a chance to do the last couple of years.

"I enjoyed myself in Cleveland. I have a lot more weapons than I had in Cleveland. I think they're going to enjoy playing with me.''

The improving Clippers went from 15 wins in the 1999-2000 season to 30 the following season and 39 last year.

Miller wouldn't comment when asked if he could duplicate what Kidd did for the Nets, who went from 26 wins in the 2000-2001 season to 52 last year _ best in the Eastern Conference.

"The Clippers are going to be an exciting team,'' Miller said. "We're going to have fun and play hard. I'm just coming in and trying to make guys better.''

The Western Conference is acknowledged to be much tougher than the East, as evidenced by the fact that the four best teams record-wise last season -- the Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks -- all played in the West.

So the Clippers' task figures to be much tougher.

"The great thing about him is this is a very unselfish player,'' Clippers coach Alvin Gentry said of Miller. "I think the thing is, he'll upgrade us defensively. I think he'll complement our players and our players will complement him. At the end of a game, you can put the ball in Andre's hands, and he can create.

"Our goal right away is to get into the playoffs, not just to get into the playoffs but get into the playoffs and do well,'' he said. "Our ultimate goal is to win a championship. Adding Andre to our team, we feel we have the ability to play anyone. We don't fear anyone.''

Miller can become a restricted free agent after next season and an unrestricted free agent in two years.

"He comes here with the expectation that it's a great fit for him, he'll be able to distinguish himself and have a chance to win,'' said Lon Babby, Miller's agent. "A year from now, have a chance to discuss his future. He comes here with the expectation of staying a long time.''