Portland Trail Blazers: 5 former stars who could push them over the hump
Scouting Report. PF. 11.6 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 1.4 BPG, 59.1% TS. Paul Millsap. player. Pick Analysis. 2. 73
Stars that could push Trail Blazers over the hump: Paul Millsap
Is it possible for someone to play oneself out of millions of dollars? During his first-round series against Utah Jazz, talented big man Paul Millsap could be making himself the first contestant on this game show. It’s already been a nip-and-tuck battle between Millsap and his place in the rotation.
As noted by Nugg Love’s Quentin S. Albertie, Denver head coach Mike Malone elected to go against playing the former four-time All-Star for the final 17 minutes of a do-or-die Game Six. And if Millsap’s minutes are being given elsewhere with the team’s season on the line, that could be as telling as it gets for this upcoming offseason. And in Game Seven, he logged in a 2-point, 1-rebound night in 14 minutes.
It hasn’t been all his fault, though. His frontcourt mate, Nikola Jokic has been consistently flambéed on the defense end, particularly in pick-and-roll situations. And that makes Millsap an attractive option. He’ll be coming off of a three-year, $90 million deal.
With his pockets already as deep as they come, perhaps he prioritizes scheme fit, whilst simultaneously giving himself a chance to contend. Portland fits the parameters.
Across the board, most of Millsap’s numbers are as low as they’ve been since he was a 24-year-old, and serving as an understudy to Carlos Boozer. The writing’s been on the wall for Millsap in a bench role for quite some time; before the All-Star break, he had an excellent three-game stint as a reserve.
It’s never easy to convince a former “star” of this, but perhaps Millsap understands how valuable he could be, watching that tightrope between super-reserve and average starter. In whichever case, finding capable insurance policies for Collins and the likely-on-the-go Whiteside should be a priority.
Just like Carmelo Anthony, Millsap once had eyes for Portland — he even signed with them as an RFA at the start of the decade, before Utah swooped in. Perhaps the second time marks the charm?