NBA: 10 candidates for a bounce-back season in 2018-19

5. Paul Millsap, Denver Nuggets

Despite Paul Millsap missing 44 games last season, it took a loss in the Denver Nuggets‘ regular season finale to keep them out of the playoffs. If he can stay on the court and keep the defense respectable, a high-powered offense is going to transform this team a Western dark horse.

Millsap wasn’t spectacular in his half-season with the Nuggets, averaging 14.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. It’s unlikely his individual numbers are much prettier this year, since the offense will run through Nikola Jokic, Gary Harris, Jamal Murray and maybe even Isaiah Thomas first.

However, Millsap’s 1.2 blocks and 1.0 steals per game indicate the kind of impact he can have on the other end for a Nuggets squad that desperately needs to improve its defense. If he can post comparable numbers, stay healthy and maybe improve on that 34.5 percent shooting from downtown, he’ll force Denver to think long and hard about that $30 million team option for 2019-20.