Will it stay or will it go?
Paul Millsap said the padding he was worn to protect his injured right shoulder has been more the cause of his shooting woes since his return to the lineup. That was especially true of his 2 of 11 shooting performance in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series against the Nets on Sunday.
Millsap said Monday that he will go without the protection for Game 2. Minutes later he amended his statement to he “might” play without it. He joked about upgrading and downgrading is own status.
However, the Hawks seriously need their leading scorer and rebounder close to full health in this playoff series - and possibly others to come. Even with the many ways in which the All-Star power forward contributes, a lack of point production would hinder the Hawks’ chances for postseason success.
“Right now, it’s because of the pad,” Millsap said of the lack of range of motion affecting his shot. “Trying to protect it, it kind of restricts it a little bit.”
Millsap missed five games with a shoulder strain and contusion suffered against the Nets on April 4. He returned for the regular-season finale and went 2 of 9 against the Bulls. In his two games following the injury, Millsap is a combined 4 of 20 for 11 points.
Millsap insisted he would work his way back into rhythm. He said while there is some soreness in his shoulder but he is unlikely to take pain medication.
“The shoulder is fine,” Millsap said. “It will be all right. … I’m not into pain pills and injections. You can ask the trainers. I hate taking pills.”
Millsap said the Hawks staff has experimented with different padding, built into a compression shirt, and even tried cutting away some of it to make the shooting action less restrictive. He worked out following Monday’s team film session and said he felt good. Millsap said he felt good with most of his shots during Game 1. He did switch from his right to left hand on several attempts close to the basket.
“A couple of right-handed shots didn’t go in so I tried it with the left,” Millsap said. “It actually worked out. I was one out of two. That’s a good percentage. With the injury, you are going to favor it. You want to use it as much as possible. You want to protect it in the same sense.”
Teammate DeMarre Carroll described Millsap as “mad” after Game 1. Millsap he watched film of the game Sunday night and Monday morning to seek correction.
“Not a concern at all,” said Al Horford, himself dealing with a dislocated right pinky finger. “A lot of those shots he took, looked good to me. He had some great moves. They just didn’t fall. Sometimes that happens. What I was encouraged to see was that he wasn’t tired. His wind was fine.”
Millsap said his conditioning is not an issue after the five games off. The strength in his arm having not shot a basketball for that length of time is more of a concern.
Despite Millsap’s shooting woes, he finished with seven rebounds, two assists, two steals and a blocked shot. Horford missed both his shots after returning in the fourth quarter with a dislocated pinky. Still, the Hawks won the series opener 99-92.
The Hawks have downplayed the significance of having their two best frontcourt players dealing with injuries. Coach Mike Budenholzer said Monday he hopes the issue is a non-story but could appreciate the concern.
“I’m hoping they go 11-for-11 and 7-for-7 and do cartwheels on their shoulders and fingers,” Budenholzer said.
That remains to be seen.
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