Utah Jazz: 2010s All-Decade team
By Dean Hasan
Power Forward of the Decade: Paul Millsap
After being drafted by the Utah Jazz in the second round in 2006, Paul Millsap evolved his game to become an excellent second option offensively and a reliable defender during the early 2010s.
After averaging 12.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.3 blocks primarily off the bench during the second half of the 2009-10 season, Millsap took his game to the next level as a starter in the following years.
Over his remaining three seasons with the Jazz this decade, Millsap put up 16.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.9 blocks per game while shooting an excellent 50.7 percent from the field. Come playoff time, Millsap was similarly great, averaging 16.3 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.7 blocks with 51.1 percent shooting through 14 games.
In the first round vs. the Nuggets in 2010, Millsap played a major role in their upset of Denver by providing the Jazz with 17.3 points and 9.8 rebounds per game off the bench.
Though he wasn’t named an All-Star until he moved on to the Atlanta Hawks in the 2013-14 season, Millsap’s impact was key to the team’s success early in the decade, thus earning him the distinction of Jazz power forward of the decade.