Atlanta Hawks: Can Paul Millsap Keep Making Three-Pointers?

The Evolution of Paul Millsap’s Shooting

One of the most pleasant surprises of last season for the Atlanta Hawks was the regularity with which Paul Millsap made three-pointers. The Hawks signed Millsap as a free agent last summer, on a two-year, $19 million deal, aware that he was a very well-rounded player, but not exactly expecting a shooter.

Millsap has long been a proven scorer, capable of banging bodies and finishing inside, due to his particularly soft touch around the rim. He’s known for his unselfishness and his abilities as one of the league’s best passing big men. On top of that, despite being undersized, Millsap is an elite rebounder, having led the NCAA in that category on three occasions in college. The Hawks were prepared for contributions in all three of those categories, but not long-range shooting.

Millsap shot 35.8 percent from three-point range for the season, and made a whopping 212 of his attempts, numbers unlike anything he’d done in the previous seven years of his career.

So, was it just a product of the Hawks’ system? Was it a fluke, a one-off? Is it even sustainable?

Let’s take a look at some of the factors that could influence Millsap’s shooting performance in the upcoming season.