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What to look for in Michael Porter Jr.’s NBA Summer League performance

By Michael Walton

Photos by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images
Photos by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 09: Denver Nuggets Forward Michael Porter Jr. (1) looks on from the bench during an NBA preseason game between the Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Clippers on October 9, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, CA.
LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 09: Denver Nuggets Forward Michael Porter Jr. (1) looks on from the bench during an NBA preseason game between the Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Clippers on October 9, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, CA. /

3-point shooting

This one is pretty simple. Porter’s immense value as a scorer comes from his ability to score easily from any spot on the floor, à la Kevin Durant. The most valuable skill for a player to possess in today’s game is the ability to hit off the dribble 3-point shots at an efficient rate. And pre-injury MPJ definitely had the ability to hit off the dribble 3s, as well as 3-pointers coming off of DHOs (dribble-handoffs) and screens.

It would be nice to take a variety of 3-point shots during summer league action, even if it includes some difficult looks. Contested 3-point shots shouldn’t be the staple of Porter’s game, but summer league is precisely the environment for him to give in to his No. 1 option tendencies.

Talent evaluators always take shot difficult into consideration when breaking down a prospect’s 3-point percentage. This is why many didn’t panic when Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young shot 27.3 percent from the 3-point line in last year’s summer league. Young was adjusting to the NBA 3-point line, hoisting just under 8 attempts per game from deep but his free throw shooting was solid. Porter is not a primary initiator of offense–or at least won’t be on the Nuggets–so we don’t necessarily need to see him take seven-plus 3-point attempts per game, but we do need to see him unafraid to take quick shots from deep if he is open.

Again, the specific number is arbitrary, but seeing Porter take 30-35 percent of his field goal attempts from 3-point range while shooting 34 percent or so deep would have him trending in the right direction based off of his small sample size at Mizzou.

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