Denver Nuggets: Michael Porter Jr. and Pennywise the clown
By James Siegle
The Denver Nuggets, NBA and Michael Porter Jr on draft night:
Michael Porter Jr. represents a movement across the NBA. This is a trend that plagues many teams in the league’s perpetual duel between the haves and have-nots.
More from Nugg Love
- Was trading Bones Hyland a mistake for the Denver Nuggets?
- Did Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets break Anthony Davis?
- Denver Nuggets stars face serious disrespect in recent NBA rankings poll
- What will it take for Denver Nuggets star to become ‘inevitable?’
- Denver Nuggets NBA Training Camp report, other preseason dates to know
In Andres Muschietti’s ”IT”, Pennywise, the horrifying clown, utters a distinct word before disappearing.
That word is fear.
Pennywise knows all about fear. He spends the movie (originated by Stephen King’s thriller) inflicting horror upon the town’s children.
Another place where fear is well-known? The NBA.
Like Pennywise, Golden State and other heavy hitters terrorize the league. It often appears too easy, like picking on children… e.g. sweeping Cleveland in the 2018 Finals.
The remaining teams are forced into a postseason fetal pose. Maybe if Durant and Curry don’t notice, the NBA’s eighth-seeded children can retreat on their bicycles, away from the petrifying Golden State playoff mansion.
As the gap between the NBA’s rich and poor grows, many teams approach the status quo with a stubborn unwillingness to take risks. Few franchises attempt wild shots at greatness anymore. Many squads find themselves afraid to move….frozen in concrete as Draymond Green the Dancing Clown approaches.
The Los Angeles Clippers stalled in fearful fashion during the draft. Michael Porter Jr, a player some projected to go third or fourth (CBS), had yet to be selected. The Clippers owned back-to-back picks at 12th and 13th.
Now MPJ warranted caution, due to lingering back injuries. But this was LA’s gift-wrapped opportunity to choose safely with one pick, and riskily with the other.
What did the Clippers do? Resembling the children in IT, LA pedaled away from the risk as quickly as possible. They selected two “safe” options, neither or which should amount to much.
Now the Nuggets are a different story. Closely mirroring the bravest child Bill, Denver could be seen vowing, “if it returns, so do we.” With the 14th pick, Denver laughed in the face of danger, pulling the trigger to select Michael Porter Jr.
You must take risks to be competitive in today’s NBA.
Denver’s front office reached for the stars in pursuing Kevin Love and Dwayne Wade in the 2017 off-season. Nuggets’ brass also pushed hard for a LeBron meeting in July. For these attempts, they earned the label of ultra-aggressive from several experts.
The NBA free agency roulette is not a matter of strikes and balls. Teams have unlimited swings, with the object of knocking one pitch out of the park.
Denver finally connected, picking Michael Porter Jr. when other teams were afraid. They smacked another homer when Isaiah Thomas followed suit, opting to join the Nuggets.
Recently MPJ underwent his second surgery, a move that Nuggets’ medical personnel found encouraging (NBA.com). Michael Porter Jr. will begin his superstar quest in 2018-19.
Chew on that red balloon, NBA.
The Nuggets finished 2-2 against Golden State last year. One victory was a 96-81 thrashing in California. Might they be the ones to conquer the mighty GSW clown?
Fear.
Next. Top five players you have never heard of. dark
Sometimes, in life, this feeling can prove to be overrated. Fortunately, the Nuggets front office fears nothing.