When it came to Denver Nuggets storylines this past season, all eyes seemed to be on Nikola Jokic’s MVP candidacy, Michael Porter Jr.’s breakout year, Jamal Murray’s injury, and even Facundo Campazzo’s unlikely rookie season.
However, there’s a member of the team who hasn’t gotten much attention since he came to Denver just a few seasons ago, mainly because he hasn’t been the exact same player he was when he made four All-Star teams in a row.
Even so, this forward deserves more recognition for his contributions to the Nuggets that don’t show up on the box score. And that man is Paul Millsap.
After spending his early years in both Atlanta and Utah as one of the primary scoring options, Millsap has slowly made the transition to a role player in his three seasons with Denver. At a press conference the day before the start of the playoffs, Millsap discussed his current role with the Nuggets.
"“You need me to come off the bench? I’ll come off the bench,” Millsap said. “You need me to play point guard? I’ll play point guard. Whatever. I’ll do that. That’s always been my attitude. I’m always about winning first before my own ego.”"
This attitude is just one reason why Millsap is great to have around, even if he isn’t playing much.
Millsap started 36 out of the 56 games he played in this season, although starts were much more scarce on the back end of the campaign. He saw the floor for 20.8 minutes per game this year, averaging 9.0 points, and 4.7 rebounds. Not the lowest marks of his career, but these numbers continue to follow the downward trend in his stat sheet since his glory days with the Utah Jazz and Atlanta Hawks.
He was, however, plus-102 in plus/minus over the course of the regular season, which says to me that the Nuggets were overall better with him on the floor. As he said, he will do whatever is needed of him to win the next game. That is the mark of a true team player.
And now that it’s the playoffs, Millsap is able to bring even more value to the table.
He has 123 playoff games under his belt, 75 of which he started, and has been to both an Eastern and Western Conference Finals. Some other members of the Nuggets’ roster also have some postseason games under their belt, but no one compares to Millsap’s resume.
Through five games against the Portland Trail Blazers in their current first-round matchup, the veteran forward is averaging 7.2 points per game on 46 percent shooting from the field to go along with 4.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists across 13.3 minutes per game.
In the small amount of time Millsap is on the floor, he is contributing in any way he can. With Jokic, Porter Jr., and Aaron Gordon handling most of the scoring, Millsap is able to find his own role and contribute with good spacing, tough defense, and being a mentor on and off the court.
One aspect of Millsap’s game that is making an impact against the Blazers is his passing ability. At age 36, he is no longer the scoring threat he used to be. But the beauty is: he doesn’t have to be.
During the five games against Portland this series, he is assisting on 23.7 percent of his teammates’ field goals while he is out on the floor, a statistic also known as assist percentage. That’s his highest mark for any regular season or playoff run in his career and is more than double the mark that he posted during the regular season (11.6 percent).
Seeing only 13 minutes of action every game isn’t much, but because of Millsap’s experience and role in the locker room, he’s impacting the game even when he’s sitting on the bench. Younger forwards like Porter Jr., JaMychal Green, and Aaron Gordon still have a lot to learn and Millsap is the perfect mentor to show them the ropes.
Basketball-reference lists his nickname as ‘The Anchorman’. I’ve never heard the Altitude TV crew refer to him as that but it’s extremely apt. At 36 years of age, with 15 seasons behind him, Millsap has made his mark on the league as the veteran, do-it-all anchor. Now it’s time to try and win his first NBA championship with the Denver Nuggets.