Paul Millsap (born February 10, 1985, in Monroe,
Louisiana) is an American professional basketball
player currently with the Utah Jazz of the National
Basketball Association. A 6'8", 245 lbs. power
forward from Louisiana Tech University in Ruston,
Millsap was selected by the Jazz in the second round
(47th overall) of the 2006 NBA Draft. His game was
initially compared to Udonis Haslem. He was an early
entrant to the draft as a junior. He is the only
player in NCAA basketball history to lead the nation
in rebounding for three consecutive years.
In late 2006, some sports journalists were referring
to Millsap as a potential Rookie of the Year
candidate, an award not traditionally given to
players taken so late in the draft. Though the award
would ultimately go to Brandon Roy, Millsap had a
strong first season, leading all rookies with six
double-doubles. He finished the 2006-07 season with
averages of 7 points per game, 5 rebounds per game,
nearly one steal and one block; he had season highs
of 20 points, 17 rebounds, 4 blocks, 4 steals, 3
assists, and 38 minutes. He played in all 82 of
Utah's games. Early in the 2007-08 season, Millsap
achieved a new career high of 24 points during a win
against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He later extended
his career high to 28 points against the Orlando
Magic in late December 2007.
