Has Paul Millsap reached his ceiling?

schneiderjazz · Post #1 » by **schneiderjazz** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 6:24 am

The reason I'm asking this is because I see people saying all the time that Millsap is not a guy you build your team around, he won't demand double teams, etc. I know he's undersized, he doesn't have the offensive arsenal Boozer has (at least not yet), but the guy is still really young. Boozer, at the same age, came to the Jazz and was averaging 16 and 9 and one year later, he exploded for 21 and 12. Sap has improved his numbers every year since entering the league. I was worried about his numbers dropping so much after his 19 consecutive double-doubles, but the guy just wasn't used to see so much time on the court. So, can he still improve? Can he keep it up for a full season? Will he ever be as good as Boozer offensively? Is he worth 8 million per season?

Pai Gow · Post #2 » by **Pai Gow** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 6:48 am

I don't see why he can't.. Guy gets hardly any plays ran for him, if he is working on that mid-range jumper and if he becomes increasingly consistent with it, he is easily and clearly starter material in this league.

IMO, that is the only spot in his game he really needs to develop to become a clear cut starter. His defense is good, despite his size, he is a rebounding monster on both ends, he's a decent passer, and runs the floor.

Also, knowing now how it feels to be a starter, I think he will better condition himself and have much better experience/knowledge on how to keep himself fresh for 30+ minutes a night.

And besides I love a guy who plays hurt, that just shows me a commitment to winning.

Paper Face · Post #3 » by **Paper Face** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 7:31 am

Answer: No.

Soul Patch · Post #4 » by **Soul Patch** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 9:01 am

People talk about him breaking down but seem to forget he was playing while injured. On topic, he hasn't reached his ceiling, he's got the toughness and work ethic to go far in this league. I hope we match and let him flourish in our system with a top PG.

erudite23 · Post #5 » by **erudite23** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 9:04 am

This is a point that needs to get more play. I don't think its safe to say that he has reached it. I mean, how many guys have after 3 NBA seasons and at the young age of 24? Not many.

I think the general perception is that he doesn't have that high of a ceiling because people look at his 6'7" stature and say "he can never be that good" based on that alone. What I see is a guy who has the potential to become an elite finisher around the hoop by virtue of his touch, creativity and tenacity.

Much depends on his ability to extend his range out into the 18-20 ft area. If he gets a dependable jumper, that could make him a 20ppg guy, and--along with his already stellar ability to finish at the hoop and create space in traffic--possibly catapult him to All-Star contention.

My biggest concern with him as a full time starter actually centers around his rebounding. As we all know, he is a tremendous offensive rebounder. The problem is on the defensive boards, where he is barely even average. When Booze went down last season, we started getting pounded on the defensive boards. With two weak defensive rebounders in the front court, that is a lot of second chance opportunities we could be giving up. This is the area where he needs to work the most.

tdownwa · Post #6 » by **tdownwa** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 12:22 pm

erudite23 wrote:I mean, how many guys have after 3 NBA seasons and at the young age of 24? Not many.

Someones going to say it so it might as well be me... Kirilenko did!

kebutah · Post #7 » by **kebutah** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 12:48 pm

AK does not have Milsap's work ethic.

Paper Face · Post #8 » by **Paper Face** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 2:19 pm

AK never reached his ceiling, and never will because he refuses to work on his game. Compared to Millsap, his work ethic is non-existent.

Lava Rock Kid · Post #9 » by **Lava Rock Kid** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 3:15 pm

He is too short for a PF, He has reached his ceiling. Look how wore out he was at the end of the season after playing starters minutes for a few months.

Post #10 » by **StocktonShorts** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 3:25 pm

How tall should a PF be?

Good god they were giving Tyler Hansbrough and Blake Griffin crap for being "too short" at 6'9".

My theory is that Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki have really skewed the perception of how big that position should be. Both those guys are tall enough to play center -- and in Duncan's case actually do play center a lot of the time.

jazzed77 · Post #11 » by **jazzed77** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 4:48 pm

not sure if he reached his ceiling, but for those that point out that "he doesn't get plays run for him" stuff, what plays would you propose? What offensive moves does he have? If the Jazz do start running plays for him, will his rebounding #'s drop because as someone already pointed out he's only an average to below average defensive rebounding and most of his offensive rebounds come from others shot attemps....don't get me wrong I love Sap and his work ethic but he is not a full time STARTER!!!