Reason #3 – He can play off or on the ball on offense
Though Millsap would be brought in for defensive purposes, as a backup four, he would be a far better option than Carmelo Anthony, as he can play on or off the ball on offense.
Millsap has always been one of the best passers at the power forward position, so when you add his defense, and then the fact that he has shot 38.5 percent from three in 179 games for the Nuggets, he is a great fit.
Though that three-point shooting isn’t on huge volume, Millsap’s ability to play small ball five, initiate the offense, or play the four alongside a guy like Enes Kanter, would mean the bench units wouldn’t struggle as they have been.
Millsap as a defensive four is a perfect fit next to Kanter, and a nice fit next to Robert Covington in small ball units.
The bench struggled so much before Jusuf Nurkic being hurt because Kanter was paired with Melo in the frontcourt, and both of these players are bad defenders. A defensive four like Millsap would help even this out, while also playing a similar ball-handling role to Nurkic at the elbows and from the perimeter.
The Nuggets may not be in a position to move Millsap, but the Blazers should enquire to see if he is available. As a strong defender who can initiate offense, he may solve some of the Blazers’ two-way problems.