Already a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, Paul Millsap's offensive "powers" have returned

Paul Millsap thought filming for Space Jam 2 began early.

Over the Nuggets’ first five games, Millsap couldn’t find the bottom of the net. He shot just 16-43 (37.2 percent) from the field and 1-8 from three. It was almost as if the Nerdlucks had zapped the four-time All-Star’s offensive powers, just as they captured Charles Barkley, Shawn Bradley, Patrick Ewing, Larry Johnson and Muggsy Bogues’ talents in the 1996 original.

But in Denver’s last three matchups, Millsap, who’s played like a defensive player of the year candidate for Denver so far this season, has found his cadence on the offensive end of the floor. He’s made 20 of his last 34 shots from the field and four of his last seven threes. His three straight double-digit scoring efforts have helped the Nuggets ascend to the 12th-best offense in the league despite their paltry three-point shooting to begin the season.

“I just feel like myself again. I don’t feel like all my powers have been taken from me. I felt like a Space Jam creature,” Millsap said Saturday morning reflecting on his struggles to open the year. “It feels good to be in rhythm. Basketball’s all about rhythm. If you’re not in a rhythm, it’s tough on yourself.”

Millsap looked out of place within Denver’s offense to begin this season. He struggled to play off of Nikola Jokic and fit into the Nuggets’ equal opportunity attack, which still hasn’t hit its stride. Through Denver’s first five games, Millsap had nearly twice as many turnovers (nine) as assists (five). He was shooting 44 percent from 4 feet and in, according to Cleaning the Glass, and was just 8-18 on shots in the restricted area, per NBA.com.

“I’m thinking too much,” Millsap admitted at the time. “I’ve just got to get out there, let my natural instincts take over and play basketball.”

So Millsap went back to the basics and refocused his game around what’s made him one of the more consistent players in the league over the last 12 seasons: his defense.

Denver’s third-ranked defense has keyed its impressive 7-1 mark to begin the season, and Millsap has been at the center of the Nuggets’ defensive game plan every night. On the season, opponents are scoring an average of 7.6 points per 100 possessions less against the Nuggets when Millsap is on the floor, a differential which puts him in the discussion with Marc Gasol, Anthony Davis, Draymond Green and Kawhi Leonard as one of the premier defensive difference makers this year.

He’s been fantastic as a communicator and help-side defender, sliding over in case his frontcourt partner Jokic gets beat or acting as a second line of defense in case Jamal Murray or Gary Harris’ man slips past one of Denver’s guards and gets into the paint.

Millsap’s defensive focus has rubbed off on Jokic, who looks like a more committed player on that end of the floor. Nuggets coaches wanted Jokic to work on his mental toughness and leadership this summer, and also his body and foot speed so Jokic had a better chance to contain smaller guards and wings 1-on-1 beyond the three-point line when he got switched onto them.

“I think he’s getting better in that area,” Michael Malone said. “I really do.”

Jokic looked light on his feet when defending Cavs point guard George Hill.

After falling in line behind his defense, can the Nuggets channel some of Millsap’s offense to emerge out of the early-season shooting slump that’s plagued most of their roster?

Gary Harris, who hit 39.6 percent of his triples last season, is shooting 27.0 percent from three this season. Torrey Craig and Trey Lyles have combined to shoot 6 of 41 from three-point range. Jamal Murray is starting his third NBA season like he began his first two: in a shooting slump. The Nuggets’ starting point guard is shooting 27.0 percent from three. Thanks to Juancho Hernangomez’s five threes, Denver shot a season-best 38.5 percent from three in its 110-91 win over Cleveland.

Harris, Craig, Lyles and Murray can learn from a veteran like Millsap, who’s been through slumps before and said he was even “second-guessing himself” when his shot wasn’t dropping at the beginning of the season.

“It’s how you come out of it and you react to it. For the younger guys, it’s just sticking to it, ” Millsap said. “Knowing that you’re a good basketball player. Knowing that you’re going to find your rhythm and shots are going to fall at some point, you just don’t know when.”