Elijah Millsap signed a 10-day contract with the Utah Jazz out of the D-League and here is a scouting report on his game:

Situation: The 27-year-old shooting guard went undrafted out of UAB in 2010 and has spent the past five seasons bouncing between the D-League, Philippines and Israel. He’s played in 155 career D-League contests but really made improvements this season with Bakersfield. Millsap received a call-up to the Utah Jazz with injuries to Alec Burks and Rodney Hood while the Jazz cleared space with the release of Toure’ Murry. He’s going to see plenty of action as the Jazz need a healthy body.

Size/Athleticism: At 6-foot-6, 215 pounds, Millsap has good size and length for the shooting guard position. He’s a good athlete that had one of the top highlights in the D-League this season with a soaring dunk over a defender. Millsap has a quick first step and uses his length on the defensive end to frustrate opponents. 

Ballhandling: Millsap can sometimes bring the ball up and run the offense in Bakersfield, but isn’t an elite ballhandler. He can handle the ball well enough to avoid pressure, but won’t create most of his offense by breaking down defenders. Millsap uses his dribbles effectively in attacking the rim and likes to use a right to left spin move on occasions. This isn’t an area Millsap excels enough to play the point guard position, but he isn’t lacking in his ballhandling either.

Shooting: This is where Millsap needs to improve to become a legitimate NBA player. He can be streaky from beyond the arc and is shooting just 33.9% from three-point range in the D-League this season. He averaged one three-point make per game. If Millsap can knock down the open jumper consistently when defenders leave to help, he’ll become a potential rotational player.

Penetration: Offensively, this is Millsap’s best attribute, although he is shooting just 50% from within 8 feet, ranking below league average. He doesn’t waste dribbles and simply likes to get from Point A to Point B. He’s a slasher that can finish at the rim and draws plenty of contact. Millsap averages 8.4 free throw attempts per game in the D-League and converts at a 76.3% rate. He’s averaging 20.6 points per game with 6.4 of those points coming from the free throw line and another 9.7 from within 8 feet.

Passing: This is another area Millsap has improved, but yet to master. He finds the open man when he receives ball screens but can make mistakes as well. Millsap is averaging a solid 5.2 assists per game, but an undesirable 4.1 turnovers. Millsap is a solid distributor that should lessen the turnovers with more ballhandlers around him at the NBA level.

Defense: The defensive end of the floor is where Millsap will make his greatest impact. He can defend anyone on the perimeter and does so effectively. Millsap is quick enough to stay in front of defenders and even when he gets beat he can recover due to his length. He can legitimately guard the 1-3 positions and typically defends the top offensive opponent in the D-League. Millsap is also averaging 2.1 steals per game.

Rebounding: Millsap rebounds well for a guard and isn’t afraid to compete inside. He averaged 8.3 boards per game at Bakersfield, making him the top rebounding guard in the D-League. It’s another plus for Millsap, showing his toughness and another admirable trait about his defensive ability.

Versatility: When Utah has the ball, expect Millsap to be on the wing playing the shooting guard position. He might be able to take the ball up the floor, but won’t make a ton of plays as the primary playmaker. As a result, he’ll be limited to the shooting guard position or even the small forward spot in smaller lineups. Defensively, Millsap is extremely versatile. He can guard any spot on the perimeter effectively and, as we mentioned earlier, defends the 1-3 positions. Millsap will see playing time because of his ability to defend different players so successfully.

Final Analysis: Millsap was certainly deserving of the Call-Up and will contribute immediately in Utah. Offensively, he’s shown improvement but is far from a finished product. He gets to the free throw line at a good rate and uses a quick first step to beat defenders. It’s his defensive ability, however, that really helped him earn the 10-day deal. His gift to defend the perimeter off the bench should give some versatility for the Jazz with a lack of defensive options on the wing. If Millsap shoots it well enough from deep, he could be another “3-and-D” prospect in the making.