Millsap on Team USA

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6-reasons-why-paul-millsap-could-make-it-to-spain

6 Reasons Why Paul Millsap Could Make It To Spain

The USA National Team announced Sunday evening that they had invited Paul Millsap to their training camp in Las Vegas at the eleventh hour.

The Millsap addition makes sense after Kevin Love, Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge all withdrew from the team, and he has a legitimate chance to make the 12-man roster.

After all, only he, Kenneth Faried, Andre Drummond, Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins can be legitimately classified as "big men," and Millsap can stretch the floor better than any of them.  Among that group, only Millsap is a serious three-point threat (he shot 36% from deep last season), adding that to his arsenal in his first season in Coach Bud's system.

The U.S. may be a bit undersized if Millsap is in the game as the team's power forward, but if he's playing alonside Drummond, Davis or even Cousins, they should be okay.  While Drummond, Faried, Davis and Cousins can all play in the post, and guys like Chandler Parsons and Gordon Hayward can stretch defenses with perimeter shooting, only Millsap can do both consistently.

Millsap's teammate Kyle Korver also deserves a decent look.  The U.S. team is filled with terrific shooters, but perhaps no one can put the kind of pressure on a defense that Korver can.  He's a veteran, particularly at creating space for himself in catch-and-shoot situations.  He has arguably the quickest release of anyone in the NBA, and even when he doesn't touch the ball there are times when he should arguably be given an assist because of the lanes he opens up for drivers.

Sure, there are more talented players with the ball in their hands, but Korver is probably the best shooter on the roster, and he could be a lethal bench weapon for head coach Mike Krzyzewski.  Korver's road to the final 12 may be more difficult however, as he'll likely have to beat out some combination of Hayward, Parsons, Bradley Beal, Klay Thompson and DeMar DeRozan.

Krzyzewski will have some tough decisions to make in the next few weeks, and both Millsap and Korver should be right in the discussion.

millsap-addition-gives-usa-stretch-power-forward

Millsap Addition Gives USA Stretch Power Forward

ATLANTA -- Forward Paul Millsap has been added to the 2014-16 USA Men’s National Team roster, it was announced today by USA Basketball National Team Managing Director Jerry Colangelo. He joins Hawks teammate Kyle Korver on the men’s national team, making the Hawks just one of three teams (Golden State and Washington) with more than one player on the current national team roster.

“I’m very excited about being added to the USA Men’s National Team roster,” Millsap said. “I look forward to practicing with and competing against some of the NBA’s best for the honor of representing our country in Spain.”

In his first season with Atlanta during the 2013-14 season, Millsap had a career best season, being selected  to the Eastern Conference All-Star Team and posting highs in scoring (17.9), assists (3.1), total steals (129), three-point field goals made (76) and percentage (.358) and double-doubles (30). He also recorded his first career triple-double with 19 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists against Toronto on March 18th. He was the only player in the NBA during the 2013-14 season to average at least 17.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.0 block.

In the Hawks’ first round series against the Indiana Pacers, Millsap pushed his averages to 19.4 points, 10.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in 38.1 minutes per game.

The U.S. team begins its preparation for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup tomorrow in Las Vegas. Millsap previously was a member of the USA Men’s National Team roster for the 2009 mini-camp, and he played in the 2009 USA Basketball Showcase in Las Vegas.

The 6-foot-8 forward from Louisiana Tech signed with the Atlanta Hawks on July 10, 2013 following seven seasons with the Utah Jazz. Over his eight-year career, he has averages of 13.1 points on .507 shooting and 7.2 rebounds in 28.2 minutes in 614 games.

Additional USA National Team members expected to participate in the Las Vegas training camp include: Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards); DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento Kings); Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors); Anthony Davis (New Orleans Pelicans); DeMar DeRozan (Toronto Raptors); Andre Drummond (Detroit Pistons); Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder); Kenneth Faried (Denver Nuggets); Paul George (Indiana Pacers); James Harden (Houston Rockets); Gordon Hayward (Utah Jazz); Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers); Kyle Korver (Atlanta Hawks); Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers); Chandler Parsons (Dallas Mavericks); Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls); Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors); and John Wall (Washington Wizards).

Millsap on Team USA

6 Reasons Why Paul Millsap Could Make It To Spain

Millsap Addition Gives USA Stretch Power Forward

Paul Millsap Added To USA Men's National Team Roster