The Atlanta Hawks just keep on winning. After starting the season 5-5, they've won 20 of 23 games to climb to 25-8 while claiming the top spot in the Eastern Conference. They've done it with a cast of players taking turns leading the way. Jeff Teague is cementing himself as one of the league's top point guards, Al Horford is a presence down low, and Kyle Korver is having a historic shooting season. And then there's Paul Millsap, the power forward who is having an impact on both sides of the ball.
Paul Millsap a key to Hawks’ rise to the top of the Eastern Conference
The Atlanta Hawks have the best record in the East, Paul Millsap is a big reason why.
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His talents were on full display the Hawks' win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday. Millsap had 27 points and six rebounds, helping the Hawks win their fourth straight and pick up their eighth win in 10 games against Western Conference foes. It was just another game in which Millsap made a case that he's deserving of a second straight All-Star game appearance.
Peachtree Hoops
It wasn't just the 27 points from Millsap that made a difference against the Blazers, he's a menace on the boards and on the defensive side of the ball as well. Watch the play starting at 1:25 in the video above. Millsap intercepts a Steve Blake along the baseline. Instead of throwing an outlet pass to a streaking guard, Millsap starts the fast break himself. He moves quickly down the court before the defense can have a chance to settle and uses a driving sidestep to hit a tough layup over Chris Kaman.
Not only was he making plays like a point guard, Millsap had a huge impact in the paint, where the Hawks outscored the Trail Blazers, 64-38. Millsap scored all of his buckets in the paint, going 11-for-15 from down low and 11-for-17 from the floor on the night. And he got to the line seven times, hitting five from the stripe. And this was all against a formidable front court with LaMarcus Aldridge -- who had stellar night as well with 30 points and 12 rebounds.
Millsap isn’t putting up monstrous numbers: He’s averaging 17 points and 8.1 rebounds in 33.7 minutes per game. But he is having a huge impact for the Hawks when he’s on the court. On the season, the Hawks have an offensive rating (points per 100 possessions) of 105.7. But when Millsap is on the court, the number rises to 109.2. When he’s off the court, it’s 97.2. Korver is the only Hawk who has a bigger impact using that metric -- when he’s on the court the Hawks offensive rating is 110.3 and when he’s off it’s 95.2.
He helps defensively as well. Millsap is fourth in the league in defensive win shares with 2.1. Only Draymond Green, James Harden and DeAndre Jordan are in front of him. And the Hawks are playing great team defense as well. They have the seventh best defensive rating in the league, giving up 100.7 points per 100 possessions.
While Millsap is having a fantastic year for the Hawks, the fact that he’s just one of the cogs in the system is the most important part for Atlanta. They’re currently the top team in the East, and if Millsap and his teammates keep up their current pace, the Hawks will be playing deep into the postseason.
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