How could that conceivably not matter?
Scola is also a much worse defender than Millsap. This is madness.
Because the discussion was about who would you rather have starting over Millsap at PF, NOW. I could care less how old Gasol or Nowitzki are. Would I rather have them starting at PF over Millsap next year? Yes.
Scola also doesn't/can't shoot 3's.
If they're practically equal players in production, but one is 5 years younger, plays much better D (that isn't saying anything), already plays for your team/is probably going to be the longest tenured player on the team still/has chemistry with the team that is there and comfort with the location and organization, is arguably your best player, is owed $25 million LESS (no joke), and has shown improvement every year, why would you choose the other?
You are out of your skull on this. I don't know what to tell you. Scola at best isn't better than Millsap, and everything else slants heavily in Millsap's favor. Sorry that you got a severe case of grass-is-greener-itis.
Nope I dont. If I had said that Scola was considerably better than Millsap, then yes I do have it. But I said that they were comparable and Scola was slightly better because he has been doing his thing as a starter. I dont think this is an outrageous observation. I suspect most analysts around the league would agree. But somehow you mistook my statement to mean that I would trade Millsap for Scola in a heartbeat. That's not what I meant.
Case in point: Not that I think Bill Simmons is a great basketball mind or anything but I know that he likes Millsap a lot and even he had Scola ranked alongside Millsap, a few places higher, in his annual NBA player value list, as recently as 2011:
https://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/110217
GROUP K: "We'll Discuss Him, But You Can't Tell ANYONE"
45. Paul Millsap
44. Danny Granger
43. Kevin Martin
42. Nene
41. Luis Scola
40. Andrew Bogut
These guys are like quality character actors: You want them in your movie or TV show as long as they're not the ones you're putting on the poster. Millsap, Scola and Martin: hard-working, efficient scorers who wound their teams defensively. Granger: a streak shooter who doesn't seem interested in being much more than that; it wasn't a coincidence that Coach K buried him on Team USA. Nene: a totally solid center who holds his own but can't carry his team for stretches at a time. Bogut: an expensive lottery center who gets you a double-double with three blocks but can't crack 50 percent from the field OR the charity stripe. Ask these guys to be anything more than your No. 3 or No. 4 guy and you won't be playing in June.
This is not just a solitary opinion but I suspect most analysts around the league think this way.
If Millsap was really all that better than Scola as you claim he should be a automatic starter at PF and an all-star by now, because Scola puts up 18 and 8 as a starter. The fact is that he is'nt. He goes through stretches where he struggles on offense or looks just beaten up and tired being overmatched physically on most nights.
In 5 years? Yeah, I would probably take Millsap for a team that needs a solid role player to contend in 2015. But we are talking about the now.
What?
By that logic maybe Hayward should take one for the team and date Lady Gaga.
Millsap > Scola. Easy. Sap is a vastly better defender.
Numberica is correct. Millsap>Scola in every way. Did you watch them head-to-head last season? Millsap made Scola his bitch.
Just ask Rocket's fans.
Bench/minutes. But I think slotting him in a larger role of his original role (spark off the bench, but now he's refined his game to a high degree so you can make him a feature of an offense, not just a janitor of it, and have him play more minutes [though conditional to the tune of a maybe a 12 minute swing]) could be a huge positive. Besides, Favors should have to cut his teeth competing and being mentored by a guy that has done so much with so little (relative to most of his peers in production) and beat him out fair and square. Millsap's earned that much and Favors will be better for it. Just a perfect guy to have in your rebuild (great intangibles and leads through example, friendly, a straight up man's man, humble, and a veteran that's paid modestly; but one that's still pretty young, continually improves [through nothing but will and work], and is still young enough to be a real contributor if the team becomes a real contender fast enough).
Millsap just played an entire season as a starter. Where were you?Millsap hasnt even played an entire season as a starter, has he? He has done spot duty as a starter, at best. Those dont show up in your stats.
Just because a player is able to beat another player doesn't mean he is the overall better player.
Millsap just played an entire season as a starter. Where were you?
Until Favors AND Kanter are ready, Millsap should get loads of playing time. The team would get substantially worse with Scola. When (if) Favors are ready, Millsap will be an extremely valuable piece as a third big/big 3. Big Al will be the odd man out, as I doubt he'll be able to become a system player.I meant, at PF. Jazz realized the matchup nightmare they have on defense with Milsap and Al at the 4 and 5 and tried him at the 3. Eventually though when Favors and Hayward emerge(and hopefully soon), Millsap will be back to the bench, where he truly belongs.