Soaring Down South
Fansided

One Skill Every Atlanta Hawks Starter Must Improve

By Colby Giacubeno

Dec 10, 2015; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap (4) during the game against Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka (9) during the fourth quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 10, 2015; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap (4) during the game against Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka (9) during the fourth quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 6
Next
Feb 5, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap (4) shoots the ball against the Indiana Pacers in the second quarter at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 5, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap (4) shoots the ball against the Indiana Pacers in the second quarter at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /

Paul Millsap

Position: Power Forward

2015-16 statistics: 17.1 PPG, 9 RPG, 1.7 BPG

2015-16 slash line: 47.0/31.9/75.7

Even with all the offseason moves made by the Hawks this summer, Paul Millsap is still the best player on this team. With that being said, he is going to be the engine for this team and the likely No. 1 option offensively.

Last season, they looked to get Horford in scoring position more often than Millsap, but he still scored the ball at an effective rate and proved why he is a three-time NBA All-Star. On the other hand, playing beside Horford also allowed Millsap to take possessions off and kind of ‘disappear’ if you will.

In 2016-17, this can’t be the case. He is the most versatile big on the roster for the Hawks and now that Horford is gone, the stretch of games where Millsap doesn’t seem to have an impact will hurt even more.

The good thing is, Millsap is heading into a contract year, meaning he wants to prove to teams (even the Hawks) that he is worth a hefty contract next summer. The only way to get that is to once again prove why he is one of the best power forwards in the league. He has done so before in his time with the Hawks, so it’ll be expected that he does it again in 2016-17.

Next: Center

Home/Hawks News