Hawks' Millsap says shoulder is fine, but shoulder pad is affecting his shot

Atlanta Hawks power forward Paul Millsap says his shoulder is fine. It's the protective gear that is bothering him.

Millsap missed five games in April due to a shoulder sprain but managed to suit up in the Hawks' last regular season game and Game 1 against the Brooklyn Nets.

"The shoulder is fine," Millsap told Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. 

However, despite Millsap's reassurances, the two-time All-Star has struggled of late. Millsap shot 2-of-11 from the field and scored just six points in 33 minutes in Game 1. He also struggled during the Hawks' last regular season game where shot 2-for-9 from the field.

Millsap blames his performance on the protective padding on his shoulder.

"Right now, it’s because of the pad," Millsap said of the lack of range of motion affecting his shot. "Trying to protect it, it kind of restricts it a little bit."

The Hawks should easily breeze by the Nets in round one, so they can withstand Millsap's injury in the interim. However, they will need him to be 100 percent in the later rounds.

When healthy, Millsap is arguably the Hawks' best player. He's a versatile forward who can drain threes, post-up and score on pick-and-roll scenarios. Millsap is also a strong defender and a tenacious rebounder. He averaged 16.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game in 73 games this season.