Nuggets Free Agency: The many benefits of the Paul Millsap deal

3. The right scoring skill set to pair with Jokic

Paul Millsap doesn’t need to dominate the ball to be a highly valuable offensive player, which is exactly what the Nuggets need next to the quarterbacking of Nikola Jokic.

Millsap’s efficiency fell slightly last season to 44.2 percent shooting overall (47 in 2015-16) and a 31.1 percent stroke from 3 (albeit with a career-high 1.1 makes per game), but it wouldn’t be surprising to see those numbers increase in a far better offense (Atlanta ranked 27th in offensive rating last season) with the passing of Jokic to play off.

The Nuggets’ new power forward can be used well as a pick-and-pop option with range that’ll comfortably keep defenses on him at the arc, and he knows how to move off the ball and spot-up in the right places.

Inside, Millsap’s highly effective from the post. He ranked in the 83rd percentile last season on post-ups, scoring 3.2 points per game on such shots with a good combination of physicality, patience and skill to adjust under the basket. As a quick interior target for Jokic if Millsap finds deep positioning or gets a mismatch against a smaller player, then that adds another reliable dynamic to Denver’s formidable offense. It’s also another way for them to clear out for Millsap and let him get a bucket.

In addition to his post play, he’s a strong driver to the basket with sound handles and a terrific spin move to beat his defender, possessing enough size and acrobatics around the rim to finish when he gets there.

Whether he’s hitting jumpers or creating for himself, Millsap should easily maintain a high level of scoring and see a nice efficiency boost in Denver.

And on top of his fit as a scorer, Millsap’s passing ability makes the offensive fit even more seamless.