I’ve been watching Michael since his days in High School and I he absolutely blew me away with his shooting ability and size dribbling up the floor. Coming off a back injury which has derailed his
career and led to him being a late first round pick I remember he scored 12 points in his one and only game for Missouri. I saw a documentary in which Michael Porter Jr impacted the life of a beautiful girl who saw her life stripped away from her due to a illness she had no control over, sure showed me life is worth much more than just money and fame. Right there and then I learned that life is about much more than just materials and things that bring temporary happiness. I am a huge John Wall fan because he cried after a 6 year old little girl lost her life to cancer as well and it really showed me that the NBA is about much more than just basketball. Back to Michael Porter Jr, sometimes I like to judge a basketball player by his personality and approach towards the game.
Is Michael Porter Jr in the NBA for the money and fame only or is he in it to be an inspiration to the youth and be a man of good deed. He is a high risk high reward player, has everything you would want from a small-forward. He can shoot,pass,handle the ball and is athletic. On top of that he can be much more than just a 3 and D wing because he can create his own shot off the dribble and shoot turn-around jumpers all game a lot like Kevin Durant does. Watching the Nuggets last season I guess you could say I was a bit shocked they won 54 games but I never really took them seriously as a contender with Michael Porter Jr I mean seriously the eye test told me all season the Nuggets lacked a go to scorer, I love Jamal Murray as a combo guard and Nikola Jokic’s Magic Johnson like skills at center but Denver needed a player that can get you a consistent 20-30 points a night to really be taken seriously.
At 6’10 and 215 pounds Michael Porter Jr checks all the boxes as a offensive player, defense might be questionable but he’s got the athleticism to be respectable on that end of the floor and Michael Malone his Coach preaches sacrifice and defense. That said about Mike Malone, Michael Porter Jr is not coming on with the mindset to step on anyone’s toes on the Nuggets roster. Jamal Murray is locked into a 5 year $170 million dollar contract so he’ll be around a while along with Nikola Jokic who signed a 5 year $148 million dollar contract last year. Gary Harris is a 3 and D shooting guard but he does not have Michael Porter Jr’s potential, Michael does play a ton like Durant since he is a pure shooter with handles and is more than qualified length wise at the small-forward position. What stands out to me most about Michael is how good of a 3 point shooter he is, there is no way he shoots below 35 percent from 3 this season. He scored 15 points recently but Michael Malone has not really gave him enough minutes.
Obviously the Nuggets wanted to be cautious with Michael so he doesn’t re-injure himself but how will he ever get in a rhythm if they throw him out there. Michael Malone should keep him at a 20-30 minute average this season depending on how he feels through the coarse of a game but I’m hoping the injuries are behind Michael Porter Jr because boy what a story it would be if Michael Porter Jr can become a superstar. I really think he could win Rookie of the Year this season, the season just began but the only way he will win it is if Michael Malone unleashes him. How would he impact the Nuggets this season? Well they beat the Spurs last season in 7 games in the first round and took the Blazers to 7 games so how would adding Michael Porter Jr not make them even deadlier. The West no longer boasts the high powered Golden State Warriors led by Kevin Durant, who is stopping the Nuggets if Michael Porter Jr is healthy?
To conclude, the Nuggets have an elite shooter in Murray and one of the best 3 and D wings in the game in Harris who can guard 1-3 basically. They also have Jokic who is arguably a Top 5 Player if you go based off impact on any team, he is definitely a Top 5 Center anyways and also probably the best passer in the game. Who can compare to Jokic at the center position as an all-around big man who can rebound and pass at an elite level and get you 20-40 points and be a stretch 5 while at it? Toss in Michael Porter Jr and the Nuggets have the recipe for a championship, Michael Porter Jr can score in every way possible and will open up the floor even more for Murray and Jokic to attack and be even more lethal on pick and rolls and pops. Again I would not be shocked if the Nuggets win the championship this season, they made a chess move bringing in Jerami Grant who is an athletic 3-4 who can make up for Jokic’s lack of athleticism in the front court.
Michael Porter Jr is just the icing on the cake, the Nuggets have done a great job drafting and developing players such as Monte Morris and Malik Beasley who both contribute off the bench and play defense. They have a deep roster and Michael Porter Jr shouldn’t pile pressure on himself, the Nuggets won 54 games without him so he just needs to focus on helping the team in anyway possible and I think by lighting up from the 3-point line the Nuggets would be favorites for the championship. Let me know what you guys think in the comment section.
D-NBA 