Paul Millsap Discusses Highs and Lows of His Sixers Debut

Last week, when the Philadelphia 76ers struck a trade with the Brooklyn Nets, they landed one of the NBA’s top stars in James Harden. However, the Sixers also picked up a quality veteran in former four-time All-Star, Paul Millsap.

With Andre Drummond no longer in the picture due to the trade, the Sixers needed a guy like Millsap to add into the rotation. When Philadelphia faced the Oklahoma City Thunder, Millsap and Harden weren’t around just yet.

The next night, the Sixers hosted the Cleveland Cavaliers. And while Millsap and Harden were in town, they were around to get their physicals done to complete the trade. Then on Monday, both of the new acquisitions joined their teammates for a practice session before taking on the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night at home.

Harden, who’s been dealing with hamstring tightness, has been ruled out through the All-Star break. As for Millsap, he was slated to make his Sixers debut on Tuesday. The last time Millsap saw the court was back in early January.

For 13-straight games, Millsap was inactive for the Brooklyn Nets before they traded him away. For the first time since January 13, Millsap appeared on the court to play against the Celtics.

“Felt great,” said Millsap after the matchup. “It felt good to be on the court playing basketball. It was a little disappointing under the circumstances, but it felt great to be back out there.”

Millsap didn’t see the court until the fourth quarter. At that point, the Sixers trailed 101-58. It was clear the Sixers would leave Tuesday night’s game with a loss. Therefore, Millsap’s nine minutes on the floor was considered garbage time at that point in the game.

During his time on the court, Millsap went 3-6 from the field. He knocked down both of his threes and finished up the game with nine points. While his offensive contributions were impressive, Millsap acknowledged his struggles on the defensive end.

“One thing that I wasn’t expecting was definitely on the defensive end," Millsap continued. "I had a couple of guys blow by me. I missed a couple of assignments. So it was a little slow on that end, but that’s gonna come.”

Right now, Millsap is unsure of his role moving forward. As he’s just getting acclimated with the Sixers, the team hasn’t quite figured out how he’ll contribute down the stretch. Regardless of what the expectations for Millsap are, the veteran mentioned he is going to stay ready for whenever his number’s called.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.