Is Paul Millsap the Denver Nuggets X-Factor?
By Chris Bolin
In two seasons with the Denver Nuggets, Paul Millsap hasn’t performed at the level he was at with the Hawks. But, especially this season, the Nuggets have been a lot better with him on the floor.
Paul Millsap hasn’t been the star the Denver Nuggets were hoping he’d be when they signed him before last season. He hasn’t made an All-Star game since coming to the West. And he hasn’t been the go-to option down the stretch.
Honestly, he’s the fifth option at times when the starters are playing well.
But he still may be worth (almost) every penny of that three-year, $90 million deal he signed to come to Denver.
The 34-year-old veteran is averaging a pretty pedestrian 12.5 points, 7 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game this season — a bit off the 18.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists he averaged in 2016-17 on his way to his fourth straight All-Star appearance with Atlanta.
But Millsap has only played 25 minutes per game this year — down from 34 his last season in Atlanta — and has missed 11 games with foot and ankle issues.
In those 11 games, the Nuggets are just 5-6 — including losses to Atlanta and Detroit. In the past two seasons, Denver is just 29-26 without him and 58-28 with him.
Another Paul Millsap stat (h/t @hundred_percent): The Nuggets are 58-28 with Millsap in the lineup over the last two years and 29-26 without.
— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) February 25, 2019
With Millsap in the lineup, the Nuggets have won 10 straight. And over that stretch, the he’s averaging a plus/minus of +10.8.
The only game he was a negative was a one-point win over the Timberwolves in which Millsap didn’t score in 20 minutes — right before he missed three games with ankle soreness.
Millsap also leads the Nuggets in net plus/minus over 100 possessions this season at +9.2 — more than double Gary Harris (+4.3), who is second.
He’s taken it to another level since the All-Star break. In two games, he’s averaging 19 points, 14.5 rebounds, two assists, three steals and 1.5 steals per game.
“I feel great. Fully healthy. So that has a little to do with it,” Millsap joked after a win over the Clippers.
Millsap has also found himself in a great rhythm since the break, shooting 51.8 percent.
“Paul found the fountain of youth or something,” coach Michael Malone said. “He’s playing like a young Paul Millsap. He’s flying around. … His energy is kind of infectious to all the other guys.”
That energy is especially infectious on the defensive end. And that’s where he really makes his biggest contribution.
Millsap is typically tasked with guarding the opponent’s best 4 or 5. In the West, that can mean anybody from Jusuf Nurkic to Paul George.
But he’s shown he’s more than capable, even racking up a Second-Team All-Defense during his time in Atlanta.
His 105 defensive rating this season ties him with Mason Plumlee for best mark among Nuggets regulars.
“Paul’s communication, being in right place. You can definitely learn from guy like Paul Millsap, who’s been a Second-Team All-Defensive player,” Malone said. “That’s why Paul’s so important for this team. It’s not just the productivity. It’s him leading by example and others learning from him.”
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If the Nuggets are going to make a run at the Western Conference finals, Millsap will be key.