Paul Millsap not surprised by Orlando Magic’s progress

Paul Millsap was a target for the Orlando Magic this offseason before deciding to head back to the Atlanta Hawks. Still, he saw the team taking a step up.

For a brief moment, Paul Millsap seemed set to become the newest star for the Orlando Magic. The team had offered a maximum, four-year, $80-million contract. They were just waiting for him to make a decision.

He seemed to be waiting to see if the Hawks would match.

They did, signing Millsap to a three-year, $60.2 million deal. Millsap elected to stay with Atlanta, the team he had played with since the 2014 season.

His familiarity with the team and its previous success certainly played a role in his return. Maybe he was not ever seriously considering the Magic and just waiting for the Hawks to match.

Millsap had previously said the Magic made a very good pitch and he was prepared to come to Orlando. At this point, the Magic team that has gotten out to a 15-12 start would be the one he would have joined.

In many ways, the Magic have become the team they pitched him. If anyone is not surprised by the Magic’s emergence as a playoff contender, it is Millsap.

“Looking at it in the summer time, I knew the talent they had with the coach that they had which was key to my decisionmaking,” Millsap said. “It’s why I looked into them. I’m not surprised by their success and what they are doing right now.”

The Magic likely pitched Millsap on the style they are playing now. They are a tough-nosed defensive team that moves the ball offensively and works together. It is not too dissimilar from the Hawks.

Skiles likely had a clear vision for how to employ the talent he had. And Millsap was someone who could fit that a super-versatile power forward capable of working in the post and hitting 3-pointers.

Who knows if the Magic would have kept Tobias Harris too, but the Magic certainly would have benefited from having the two-time All Star on the roster.

The decision worked out for Millsap. He said there is a definite comfort level for him with his teammates, his coaches and the city.

It has worked out schematically too.

Millsap is averaging a career-high 18.0 points per game and a career-high 9.1 rebounds per game. He has posted a 50.9 percent effective field goal percentage. He is playing some very good basketball.

Millsap scored 13 points on 5-for-16 shooting while grabbing 13 rebounds in the Hawks’ 103-100 win at Amway Center on Sunday. He certainly had some of his struggles in the game, but his steal on Victor Oladipo helped seal the victory.

Millsap continues to turn up big for his team.

Still even though the Magic lost the game, they showed they are still going to be a team to reckon with in the Southeast Division.

After the loss, Orlando is a game and a half out of first place in the Southeast Division. They are a half game behind the Detroit Pistons for the final Playoff spot in the packed Eastern Conference.

A year after winning 25 games, this group has begun to compete. It may have been something Millsap foresaw when he was considering teams this summer, but it is not something he welcomes right now in the heat of battle.

“We would love to be at the top,” Millsap said. “It shows where the East is and where the division is at. It has gotten a lot more competitive. A lot of teams have gotten better. It’s a competitive league, but our division has definitely gotten better from year to year.”

The Magic seem entrenched in the Playoff and division race at this point. There is still a long way to go, but teams have begun to settle into where they are at this point.

Orlando is in a good place fighting for a Playoff spot and keeping pace with an Eastern Conference that is completely packed — spots 2-11 are separated by three games. The Magic will continue to try to keep pace Monday against the Knicks in New York.

Next: Orlando Magic falter against Atlanta Hawks

Millsap may not be a part of the team, but he certainly was ready to sign on with a team that was about to realize its potential with or without him.