Nugg Love
Fansided

Nuggets: What’s the deal with Paul Millsap?

By Quenton S. Albertie

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - AUGUST 23: Paul Millsap #4 of the Denver Nuggets celebrates a three point basket against the Utah Jazz during the second quarter in Game Four of the Western Conference First Round during the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 23, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - AUGUST 23: Paul Millsap #4 of the Denver Nuggets celebrates a three point basket against the Utah Jazz during the second quarter in Game Four of the Western Conference First Round during the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 23, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Denver Nuggets veteran power forward Paul Millsap has been having a tough go of it against the Utah Jazz.

The Denver Nuggets’ elder statesman has obviously been declining for years but this postseason, veteran forward Paul Millsap has been a major disappointment.

Once one of the league’s best two-way players at power forward, Millsap is now 35-years-old and looking every bit his age. He often is invisible on the court and underwhelming on offense even when he’s playing with energy, finding himself unable to consistently get position in the post. Defensively, Millsap is as prone to getting beat off-the-dribble as anyone and his good moments on defense are few and far between.

Aside from nearly being a non-factor on offense, averaging 7.7 points on 40.0% shooting from the field (he is, however, shooting 40.0% from three), Millsap’s defensive rating of 133.1 is the worst on the team. His net rating (-15.0) is the third-worst on the team and the second-worst among the team’s rotation players.

Perhaps the most damning evidence against him is the fact that after Nuggets head coach Michael Malone refused to play him for the last 20 minutes of Game 5 (with Denver outscoring the Utah Jazz, 52-35, in those minutes), Malone refused to play Millsap for the last 17 minutes of Game 6. In the final quarter and a half of Game 6, the Nuggets would outscore the Jazz 45-36.

More from Nuggets News

This is with his replacement, Michael Porter Jr., going 1-3 from the field for 2 points in that span. Despite MPJ’s subpar scoring (he was relatively uninvolved offensively), Porter more than doubled Millsap’s rebounding totals with a team-high 12 rebounds and the threat of his shooting just draws more attention from defenders than Millsap.

The attention Porter has drawn on offense and his aggressiveness on the boards in comparison to Millsap was also noticeable in Game 5. These are likely just a couple of the reasons that Malone decided to bench the team’s veteran leader in favor of a rookie who had been targeted defensively up until that point.

It remains to be seen if Millsap will provide more useful of a player in the team’s future playoff series’. In fact, Millsap could be playing himself right out of Denver this offseason thanks to the emergence of MPJ and Jerami Grant.

Nonetheless, Millsap has disappointed against the Utah Jazz this series, beyond the shadow of a doubt.

light. Related Story. Mason Plumlee's unsung performance in Game 6

Father Time appears to finally have caught up to him.

Home/Nuggets News