Utah Jazz notebook: Millsap merits minutes, Sloan says

SALT LAKE CITY — Jerry Sloan wants to find Paul Millsap more playing time — especially after what the Jazz coach saw in Friday's win over Sacramento.

With starting power forward Carlos Boozer out with a moderately strained right calf muscle, Millsap merely scored a career high-tying 32 points, pulled down 14 rebounds and dished seven assists while logging 43 minutes.

"He needs more minutes," Sloan, whose 28-18 Jazz didn't practice Saturday and are idle until playing Dallas on Monday in the second outing of a four-game homestand, said afterward.

"That's where we struggle sometimes."

Millsap — who signed a four-year, $32 million contract last offseason — was making his first start this season.

He's averaging 26.6 minutes per game, 3.5 fewer than last season.

Boozer missed 45 games due to injury then, helping allow Millsap to average 8.6 rebounds, have 51 games with 10-plus points and 14 with 20-plus, have 30 games with 10-plus rebounds, and enjoy one stretch with 19-straight double-doubles.

This season, settled back into his backup role after Boozer's surprising decision to opt in for the final season of his current six-year contract with the Jazz, Millsap's minutes aren't all that's down.

His rebounding average has dipped to 6.1, his points are off by 2.6 and his double-double count more than halfway through the season is just three — compared to 29 all last season.

Not one to make public waves, Millsap said he "wouldn't say it was 'tough' at all" to accept the lot he's dealt with this season.

Sloan, though, probably wouldn't be surprised if deep down it really has been difficult.

"I'm sure any player that does the things that he's able to do would want to be out there on the floor," the Jazz coach said.

"I've been reluctant (to start him), because he's been so valuable to us off the bench," Sloan said.

"I haven't had a lot of, you might say, guys that really are in the groove of coming off the bench. And he seems to be a self-starter, ready to go. It's not like he has to make three possessions before he's ready to play.