Denver Nuggets: Paul Millsap returns as the team eyes return to playoffs

Paul Millsap is officially back as the Denver Nuggets prepare for their push towards the playoffs; they hope to end their four-year playoff drought

The last time the Denver Nuggets qualified for the NBA playoffs, LeBron James was still a member of the Miami Heat and Kevin Durant was still with the Oklahoma City Thunder. However, the new-look Nuggets are hoping that changes next month.

And if Denver does make the playoffs this season, Paul Millsap, who just returned from injury, will no question be a big reason why.

Millsap, who signed with the team during the summer, only played the first 16 games of the season before suffering a left wrist injury that forced him to miss the bulk of the NBA season. Now that he’s back, though, the Nuggets are hoping that the Millsap effect will help lift them into the playoffs.

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Denver is currently 8th in the Western Conference, just one game ahead of the LA Clippers for the final playoff spot. At the same time, they’re also only one game back of the 5th-seeeded New Orleans Pelicans.

In essence, there are five teams (Pelicans, Thunder, Blazers, Nuggets and Clippers) fighting for four playoff spots in the West.

Millsap could be the final boost that puts the Nuggets over the top as they hope to snap their four-year playoff drought.

The expectation is that Millsap will be eased in – last night, he came off the bench and played 23 minutes while scoring nine points. As you’d expect, he was a bit rusty. Before the injury, though, Millsap was averaging 15 points and six rebounds per game.

He’s the star the team targeted during the summer to get them over the proverbial hump in the Western Conference. He’s the man that is supposed to save the day, even in a cluttered race for one of the final playoff spots the Western Conference.

In their last 10 games, the Nuggets are 7-3. Denver has 21 games remaining during the regular season. Of those 21 games, the Nuggets will face 12 playoff opponents – with 10 of them coming in the latter portion of their schedule.

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In other words, the Nuggets only play two playoff opponents in their next 11 games. This is a soft spot in their schedule, and they need to assure themselves that they take full advantage of it. This is the ideal time to get Paul Millsap back up to speed, and potentially create some cushion as they continue to march towards their first playoff berth in four years.

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