Paul Millsap

Strengths: Help incite the undersized power forward craze…What he lacks in height (he's closer to 6-7 than 6-8), he makes up for in strength, agility and explosiveness…Very hard to defend due to his strength, relatively low center of gravity, and ability to force his way to the basket while exercising great body control…Has developed a very dependable jumper out to 19 feet, making him even more dangerous…A monster in the paint. He has a decent variety of refined go-to moves in the post (thought he likes to face up), and has become a master at finding creative ways to score…Uses both hands well…One of the most tenacious rebounders in the game. In college he became the first player to lead the nation in rebounding three times (he entered the draft after his junior year), and in the pros has averaged 9.7 boards per 36 minutes…A very underrated defender, leading the Jazz in blocks in the 2009-10 campaign…Energy and desire to wear down his defender makes him a nightmare, especially when he's put on the floor when everyone else is tired…Motor never quits…Release on his jumper gets quicker every year…Extremely durable, having played in 322 out of a possible 328 career games (he's played all 82 games three times)…Agility allows him to slide to the three position when Sloan opts for a bigger lineup…If he can continue to improve as a shooter to the point where he can shoot off the dribble and with a hand in his face, he could seamlessly replace Carlos Boozer due to his defense and durability. The Jazz have been great with Millsap in the starting lineup, and feel that he's certainly worthy of being their starting power forward.

Weaknesses: His non-stop motor is also a hindrance; he might be the most foul-prone player in the league, averaging 5 personal fouls per 36 minutes…Poor free throw shooter…Occasionally forces the issue inside…Towards the end of the season he began to settle for jump shots too frequently…His height, which he often turns to his advantage, prevents him from dominating, and his ceiling is lower than that of a player with a similar skill set…Not remarkable in transition…Not a great passer.

Sam Littman 7/7/10

YouTube Clip - 7/23/2010