Denver Nuggets: The X-Factor of Michael Porter Jr

Looking ahead to the playoffs, the key to success for the Denver Nuggets might just be the rookie phenom from Missouri, Michael Porter Jr.

Fans of the Denver Nuggets are still lamenting the departure of Malik Beasley and Juancho Hernangomez. This is partially because of the charisma that Juancho provided, as well as the thrilling performances of Beasley. But also, the Nuggets are missing the spark that each provided. Malik Beasley was the best shooter on the Denver Nuggets. Juancho Hernangomez was an excellent depth piece who stepped up when he needed to be. The spark created by these two are probably only replaceable by one player: Michael Porter Jr.

What the Denver Nuggets have:

The Nuggets obviously realize the value of Michael Porter. They drafted him and he has panned out in his time as a feature in the rotation. Even before he played regular minutes, the front office deemed him as an untouchable asset.

It’s essentially undeniable that Michael Porter Jr is slotted to be the third star between Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. His talent is undeniable and potential is virtually limitless. We all know this by now.

So why not now?

Obviously, he’s not quite ready at this very moment, but he’s taken so many leaps in such a short amount of time. He’s certainly a part of the rotation looking at the playoffs.

Looking at the current roster, with the departure of Malik Beasley, the best pure shooter on this roster is Michael Porter Jr.

He’s not only the best shooter, but he’s also one of the best finishers on the team. Porter, Monte Morris, and Torrey Craig are the only non-centers on the roster with FG% at the rim above .700, (per Basketball-Reference).

He’s third on the team among rotation players in True Shooting %, behind Nikola Jokic and Mason Plumlee.

What the Denver Nuggets need:

They already have a high-level shot maker.

This is really all that they need. Michael Porter Jr’s ability to space the floor and score at will is something that the Nuggets did not have during their last playoff run. They just need to use him.

He’s a rookie, so he’s not going to be a positive defender, but he’s athletic enough and large enough to at least hinder the opposing team. After a couple of months of seeing regular rotation minutes, the growth on the defensive end for Porter has been undeniable.

Hopefully, the trajectory continues. In order for this to happen though, he needs to continue playing regular minutes. His minutes have gradually increased from 7.7mpg in November, 10.3 in December, and a quick jump to 21.4 in January. It has since dipped to 13.3 minutes in his three February contests, with two performances under 10 minutes, and one north of 20. It makes sense that his minutes were restricted in recent games, but now is the time where his role needs to be elevated.

He should not simply be “worked in” to the rotation, but rather be a staple of it. It shouldn’t be selective.

The Denver Nuggets are 14-3 when Michael Porter Jr plays at least 14 minutes. That’s a winning percentage of 82.3%.

He’s still in the 99th & 100th percentile for offensive rebounding and defensive rebounding respectively for wings (per Cleaning the Glass). He’s also in the 97th percentile for block percentage. He’s so talented and physically impressive that he will impact the team positively, no matter how inexperienced he does look at times.

He could also be utilized as a power forward more against teams that play more small ball, like the Rockets, or even the wing-heavy Clippers. Also from CTG, the Nuggets boast a +22.3 net rating with Porter at the 4.

Ultimately, the Denver Nuggets have a secret weapon that can vault them to a ceiling of much higher significance. He will transform into the player that they truly need, but will it be this year? It depends, but the best chance for this to happen is to let him loose.