Denver Nuggets (Photo by Kim Klement – Pool/Getty Images)
Michael Porter Jr.’s monster performance in Monday’s win over the Oklahoma City Thunder may have redefined his role with the Denver Nuggets.
It was the ultimate told-you-so moment for the masses of Denver Nuggets fans championing for Michael Porter Jr. minutes, as the talented rookie exploded for 37 points on 12-of-16 shooting to push Denver past the Oklahoma City Thunder 121-113 Monday.
Porter’s performance included an impressive 12 rebounds and 4-of-6 shooting from 3-point range, as he provided the firepower Denver desperately needed down three starters, helping the Nuggets improve to 1-1 in the Orlando bubble.
Things looked bleak after Porter failed to impress in the Nuggets’ 125-105 loss to the Miami Heat Saturday, despite receiving the start. Porter has struggled to earn head coach Michael Malone’s trust throughout his rookie season, and another trip to the bench appeared the likeliest scenario.
Yet, Malone seems to be gaining confidence in the youngster, even before Monday’s performance, as the NBA’s COVID-induced suspension has rendered this effectively Porter’s second season. Malone spoke to this in Monday’s postgame conference:
“In between games I got 3 texts from Michael (Porter Jr.), saying: ‘I have to be better, I can do better, stay with me,’ all those things. I said, ‘Michael, I’m not going anywhere. I’m gonna stay with you. You’re a hell of a young player and you’re gonna continue to grow.'”
This should excite Nuggets fans, as Denver’s 111.9 offensive rating ranks 9th best in the league, which likely won’t be enough to render the Nuggets legitimate championship contenders.
However, Porter may be the player to push Denver over the edge, as he’s shown Kevin Durant-like flashes of potent and efficient offense, which would help this Nuggets squad lacking wing scoring and 3-point shooting.
This makes Porter’s presence on the court extremely important, as the Nuggets look to upset higher-ranked Western Conference teams and make a championship run. However, even after a January in which Porter averaged 12.3 points per game on 52.2 percent shooting, he found himself pine-bound most of February and March, due in tandem to an ankle injury and lack of Malone’s trust.
Building on Monday’s strong performance is paramount, as Porter looks to permanently ditch the pine and be a significant contributor going forward. The following are keys to Porter’s continued success throughout 2019-20:
Denver Nuggets</a> fans championing for <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2020/08/05/denver-nuggets-michael-porter-jr-keys/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/p/portemi01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Michael Porter</a> Jr. minutes, as the talented rookie exploded for 37 points on 12-of-16 shooting to push Denver past the Oklahoma City Thunder 121-113 Monday.</p>
<p>Porter’s performance included an impressive 12 rebounds and 4-of-6 shooting from 3-point range, as he provided the firepower Denver desperately needed down three starters, helping the Nuggets improve to 1-1 in the Orlando bubble.</p>
<p>Things looked bleak after Porter failed to impress in the Nuggets’ 125-105 loss to the Miami Heat Saturday, despite receiving the start. Porter has struggled to earn head coach Michael Malone’s trust throughout his rookie season, and another trip to the bench appeared the likeliest scenario.</p>
<p>Yet, Malone seems to be gaining confidence in the youngster, even before Monday’s performance, as the NBA’s COVID-induced suspension has rendered this effectively Porter’s second season. Malone spoke to this in Monday’s postgame conference:</p>
<blockquote><p>“In between games I got 3 texts from Michael (Porter Jr.), saying: ‘I have to be better, I can do better, stay with me,’ all those things. I said, ‘Michael, I’m not going anywhere. I’m gonna stay with you. You’re a hell of a young player and you’re gonna continue to grow.'”</p></blockquote>
<p>This should excite Nuggets fans, as Denver’s 111.9 offensive rating ranks 9th best in the league, which likely won’t be enough to render the Nuggets legitimate championship contenders.</p>
<p>However, Porter may be the player to push Denver over the edge, as he’s shown <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2020/08/05/denver-nuggets-michael-porter-jr-keys/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/d/duranke01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Kevin Durant</a>-like flashes of potent and efficient offense, which would help this Nuggets squad lacking wing scoring and 3-point shooting.</p>
<p>This makes Porter’s presence on the court extremely important, as the Nuggets look to upset higher-ranked Western Conference teams and make a championship run. However, even after a January in which Porter averaged 12.3 points per game on 52.2 percent shooting, he found himself pine-bound most of February and March, due in tandem to an ankle injury and lack of Malone’s trust.</p>
<p>Building on Monday’s strong performance is paramount, as Porter looks to permanently ditch the pine and be a significant contributor going forward. The following are keys to Porter’s continued success throughout 2019-20:</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2020/08/05/denver-nuggets-michael-porter-jr-keys/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Keep cutting around Nikola Jokic </a>
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<img class="size-full wp-image-406305" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2020/08/05/denver-nuggets-michael-porter-jr-keys/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2275,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1227895857-1.jpeg" alt="Denver Nuggets" width="3200" height="2275" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1227895857-1.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1227895857-1-768x546.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Denver Nuggets (Photo by Kim Klement-Pool/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Keep cutting around Nikola Jokic</h2>
<p>Porter’s performance was efficient and effective, as he played well with <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2020/08/05/denver-nuggets-michael-porter-jr-keys/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jokicni01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 ref="nofollow">Nikola Jokic</a>, utilizing the sweet-passing big man to score multiple easy baskets. This is pivotal in Denver, as successful scorers cut effectively around Jokic, playing in-sync with the All-Star facilitator and collecting easy baskets off his passing.</p>
<p>Porter finished 5 of Jokic’s 10 assists Monday, rendering himself a frequent and easy target for Denver’s primary playmaker. Porter also scored 21 of his 37 points off layups, dunks and free-throws, which is a great mix for the oversized small forward.</p>
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<p>Jokic was complimentary of Porter’s play in the post-game press conference. “He’s a big target, he’s strong,” Jokic said. “It is kind of easy when he gets open, it’s easy to find him.”</p>
<p>This is high praise coming from the team’s alpha and outlines a clear path to minutes in developing chemistry with Jokic. Even though Jokic is a quieter superstar than most, his vote of approval is significant, as Malone wants to give him the necessary tools for an effective offense.</p>
<p>If Porter continues cutting around Jokic, defenses will also be forced to cover him 360 degrees, wary of both the basket cut and deep shot alike. This creates cleaner attempts for Porter, as defenders will be unable to cheat on his 3-ball.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2020/08/05/denver-nuggets-michael-porter-jr-keys/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Shooting and defense </a>
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<img class="size-full wp-image-406259" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2020/08/05/denver-nuggets-michael-porter-jr-keys/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1066,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2020%2F08%2F1227896271-1.jpeg" alt="Denver Nuggets" width="1600" height="1066" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2020/08/1227896271-1.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2020/08/1227896271-1-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Denver Nuggets (Photo by Kim Klement-Pool/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Let it fly</h2>
<p>Porter looked tentative in Saturday’s loss to the Miami Heat, and the difference between this game and Monday’s monster performance was night-and-day. An aggressive Porter has proven a highly effective player, and this should be his mindset going forward, especially on a team that lacks shooting and wing scoring.</p>
<p>His 2019-20 shooting numbers are among the team’s finest, as his 50.3 percent from the field ranks third-best on the team, and his 42.2 percent 3-point shooting checks in at second-best.</p>
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<p>Porter’s shot-selection has been stellar, as his percentages clearly state, even if some attempts appear tough at first glance. No one wants wild shots from a rookie, but this is far from his issue, as his level of efficiency warrants aggressive play.</p>
<p>The team looks stellar when Porter is an active attacker, and it’s rare for him to overshoot his welcome, due to his ability to convert at high percentages. Because of this natural efficiency knack, Porter must fire confidently without hesitation.</p>
<h2>Defensive focus</h2>
<p>Herein lies a less exciting point, but an important one nonetheless, as defense is a leading emphasis of Denver’s coaching staff. Malone is notoriously defensive-minded, and it’s often Denver’s hard-nosed, savvy defenders who find themselves in his rotation.</p>
<p>Porter’s defense had it’s notable attributes Monday, as he finished with a plus-25 +/- while accumulating one block and a steal. He showed a level of hustle defensively and altered several shots around the rim.</p>
<p>However, Porter surrendered multiple 3-pointers Monday, which is a fast way to upset Malone. It’s clear his defensive awareness still requires significant improvement and fixing this will give him larger chunks of court time.</p>
<p>When Porter is yanked, it’s almost-always for defensive issues, so this must be a priority going forward. If he studies film to improve awareness, hustles on the stopping end, and provides a rim-protecting impact, this should be enough to keep him on the floor.</p>
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