Denver Nuggets: Michael Porter Jr. is the key to their future

Michael Porter Jr. is the key to the Denver Nuggets’ future

Opportunity. That’s what the restart bubble in Orlando has provided players that we haven’t seen much of this year. Bol Bol flashed his potential and Gary Trent Jr. has proven himself to be a huge part of the Portland Trail Blazers rotation.

However, there is one player that has shown the potential people once thought he had. Michael Porter Jr. has been playing incredibly well. If the Denver Nuggets hope to jump from a really good playoff team to a contender, Porter Jr. holds the keys to the future.

Michael Porter Jr. was drafted 14th by the Denver Nuggets in the 2018 NBA Draft. For around a year or two, Porter was thought of as the top prospect in his class. That all changed when Porter started having severe back issues at a young age even robbing him of his lone year at Missouri. This was a huge reason why Porter Jr. dropped all the way to the bottom of the lottery.

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The Denver Nuggets felt they already had a good enough team to take this risk with the chance of a very high reward. Porter Jr. didn’t play his first year in the NBA. He took the year to rehab his back and have it fully recover.

This season would be deemed as his technical rookie season. Porter saw action in 53 games, starting in six of them. Porter averaged 9.2 points, 4.7 rebounds all while shooting an effective field goal percentage of 58 percent. Porter’s best game of the year before the season was suspended was against the Indiana Pacers, scorching them for 25 points.

MPJ’s impact on the Denver Nuggets in the bubble

Porter in the bubble has played a big role for the Nuggets. Injuries to Gary Harris, Will Barton, and Jamal Murray have opened up minutes for the rookie. He has grabbed the opportunity and sprinted with it. Porter Jr. has erupted in the past four games for the Nuggets, setting career highs in both points and rebounds. He has been a steady cog coming off the bench. He is once again showing those flashes that once had him rated as such a high prospect.

Porter’s game is a blend of his size and scoring prowess. Porter is 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot wingspan. He uses these tools and a quick first step to attack the rim being able to finish on any defender that stands in his path. Porter’s shot is also very smooth especially for such a young player of his size. Porter shot 42 percent from 3-point range this season, but only attempted two shots per game from that range. I believe with more time and opportunity those numbers could possibly be even better. His free throw percentage of nearly 84 percent proves that he has sound shooting mechanics.

Another part of Porter’s game that is revered is his ability to rebound the basketball. In the last four games for MPJ, he has gotten double-digit rebounds even setting a career-high in the process. His size and athletic ability allow him to be a menace on the boards and threat to put backs on the offensive side of the ball. If teams don’t put a body on him, Porter Jr. will make you pay.

If Denver hopes to join the elite tier of teams in the Western Conference such as the Lakers and Clippers, Porter Jr.’s development is imperative. If fully developed, Porter Jr. would give the Nuggets another big-time scorer to pair with star players Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. I’m not sure how many teams would be able to stop this 1-2-3 punch. However, there is one facet of Porter Jr.’s game that could limit his growth.

There would be nights this season where Michael Porter would see hardly any action or even no action at all. This was the result that his defense is virtually nonexistent. MPJ is known as a bucket getter and rebounder but if he is to step into that starting role sooner than later, his defense has to get a lot better.

Anytime he is on the floor for the Nuggets, the opposing team will single him out and attack him on defense. He struggles to fight through screens, doesn’t stick to his man, and even struggles guarding most players. If Porter Jr. is to become the star player Denver hopes for him to be, he has to become a better defender.

This is only Porter’s rookie season and he has shown immense potential. The ability to have his measurables, be a high potent 3-level scorer, and a tremendous rebounder will take Denver’s already mile-high potential and shoot it into space. Porter Jr. has to become a better defender to find more time on the court, but with being so young there is still plenty of time. For now, Porter will be a menace for the Nuggets coming off the bench.