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SLTrib: Five years of fine tuning produces new Millsap

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Five years of fine tuning produces new Millsap

By Brian T. Smith
The Salt Lake Tribune

Published: November 1, 2010 05:59PM
Updated: November 1, 2010 08:45PM

Scrappy rebounds traded for gutsy put-backs. Tip-ins turned into points. Hard fouls and captured loose balls that sent a message. Power moves in the paint that created momentum. Short-range shots that punished opponents who were weak in the paint.

Dirty work is what the fifth-year Jazz forward based his entire collegiate career upon. It is what allowed the former Louisiana Tech standout to first get noticed and then get drafted. And during his first four years in the NBA, as Millsap was forced to prove himself again and again, dirty work is what made his name and carved out his place in the league.

“That’s what got me to where I’m at today,” said Millsap, prior to a Monday morning workout at the team practice facility.

But with a revamped Jazz (1-2) team looking for new offensive outlets and different roads that lead to success, Millsap’s game is changing. On a basic level, he is Utah’s new starting power forward, technically replacing pick-and-roll guru Carlos Boozer. On a deeper level, Millsap is completely reshaping the way he does business. Dirty work still applies. But finesse-based perimeter shooting and a more assertive role in Utah’s offense are already polishing his workman-like reputation.

Millsap had his 2010-11 coming-out party Sunday night, recording game highs in points (30) and rebounds (16) during the Jazz’s 120-99 road victory over Oklahoma City. In addition, six of the forward’s 12 made field goals were long-range jump shots, with several fired from at least the 18-foot mark.

“Give him the credit for the work that he’s put into it from day one,” said Utah coach Jerry Sloan, who also credited Millsap’s improved passing.

He added: “Karl Malone was that kind of person, where he worked on his game and made himself better through hard work. And he got a little better every year.”

While the sight of an aggressive, energized Deron Williams threading the Thunder’s defense provided welcome encouragement for a Jazz team coming off two consecutive blowout losses to open the season, the image of Millsap confidently reaching back, finding his trigger point and expertly sinking a Boozer-like jumper was equally promising.

Moreover, at the same time as Millsap was bombing away, the court opened up for the Jazz. Williams’ path to the basket became clearer, center Al Jefferson had more room to work with, and both had their best performances of the season.

“Understanding our team and with the guys we have, I understand that I’ll have to get out there and do it,” Millsap said. “Especially with Al here. He can step out and hit the jump shot. But he really wants to do his work down low. So I’m going to have to replace [Mehmet Okur], who’s out right now. Step out and open the floor for our team.”

Jefferson, Millsap’s tag-team partner in the paint, said he has long respected his new teammate’s skill set and work ethic. But when Jefferson joined the Jazz last summer, watching Millsap up close was an eye-opening experience. The forward’s all-around game had reached a new level. And Big Al knew big things could happen once the duo found their rhythm.

“I’m not surprised to see what he did last night,” Jefferson said. “And I think he could do a lot more of it.

Millsap said he possessed a reliable jumper during college but lacked the confidence to step out, call for the ball and take the shot. Even when the self assurance arrived in the NBA, the muscular big man was forced to play within Utah’s selfless system, deferring to others while fine tuning his role as a backup.

“I felt like I had to do everything right. I had to be perfect,” Millsap said. “Couldn’t miss shots.”

Now, the fruits of five consecutive years spent working with the same shooting coach during the offseason have come to light. Millsap knows he has the potential to be lethal outside the paint. And with his teammates’ support, he no longer has to look over his shoulder every time he fires away.

“I’m getting an opportunity to showcase what I can really do,” Millsap said.

bsmith@sltrib.com Twitter: tribjazz
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Will you stop posting these garbage threads? It's like you just barely found out Utah has an online paper that covers the Jazz.
 
Your role? You can't expect me to believe that you're not an idiot in real life.
 
Garbage threads? As someone who doesn't make a habit of visiting the websites of Utah newspapers on a daily basis, I appreciate threads like this. I actually would appreciate more Jazz news. In days of yore, on some other Jazz forum from some other time, there was a forum just for Jazz articles. I remember Viny from that site. Clearly he sees the benefit in posting articles he comes across, and I thank him for that.

Posting the articles on Jazzfanz makes it convenient for some of us who don't feel like hunting them down.
 
Stickler said:
Garbage threads? As someone who doesn't make a habit of visiting the websites of Utah newspapers on a daily basis, I appreciate threads like this. I actually would appreciate more Jazz news. In days of yore, on some other Jazz forum from some other time, there was a forum just for Jazz articles. I remember Viny from that site. Clearly he sees the benefit in posting articles he comes across, and I thank him for that.

Posting the articles on Jazzfanz makes it convenient for some of us who don't feel like hunting them down.
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Dude, my post was a joke. I'm not serious about it. I'm making fun of vinylone and his use of "garbage threads".
 
I suppose I should do a better job of keeping up with whatever running gag you think is funny or something. Whatever.
 
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