Utah Jazz: Paul Millsap still overlooked, but he keeps working anyway

SALT LAKE CITY — Paul Millsap wasn't sure Wednesday if his name would be among the candidates when the 2011 NBA All-Star Game ballot is made public today.

If it is, those who have watched Millsap's development closest could contend, justice would be served.

A league source, however, said Millsap's name won't be on the Western Conference ballot — and that the four on it are point guard Deron Williams, small forward Andrei Kirilenko, big man Al Jefferson and injured center Mehmet Okur.

And if that indeed is the case …

"It would matter a little bit, you know," said Millsap, who's made a career out of being overlooked and under-appreciated. "But my main thing is winning."

Millsap's comment came after he scored 19 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in the Jazz's 98-88 win over New Jersey.

The double-double was his fifth in 12 games this season — and his disappointment with it spoke volumes as to just how far the 2006 second-round draft choice from Louisiana Tech, Utah's new starting power forward now that two-time All-Star Carlos Boozer is in Chicago, has come.

"Nineteen and 15, but I shot 5-for-15 from the field," Millsap said. "You know, that's how I look at it."

Those considering Millsap for what would be his first All-Star appearance — coaches can still pick him as a reserve — might look at the career-high 46 points he scored last week at Miami.

Or the 21.5 points per game he's averaging this season, which is 8.0 better than his previous career best. Or the team-high 9.5 rebounds he's averaging. Or how he's helped the Jazz to an 8-4 start, doing so even after being passed over time and time again in the '06 draft's opening round.

"Paul is one of those guys who just comes and works all the time," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said after Wednesday's win, one in which Millsap also dished four assists, made a couple steals and blocked one shot. "He's a pleasure to work with, because he comes and works every single day.

"He deserves a lot of credit. Well, he deserves all the credit — because he had to do all the work."

Work was precisely what Utah did Wednesday, making Millsap feel good about how the Jazz responded to a Monday loss to Oklahoma City that broke their five-game win streak.