The Denver Nuggets took a chance on Michael Porter Jr. at the 2018 NBA Draft. Game 3 against the Los Angeles Clippers was an example of why.
Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. is one of the most polarizing young players in the NBA. Most agree that he has the potential to become a perennial All-NBA selection, but his injury history is discussed more often than his flashes of brilliance.
While Porter has admittedly missed extensive time already, he’s also pieced together performances that show exactly why the Nuggets believed in him.
That includes Game 3 of the 2020 Western Conference Semifinals.
Denver is currently in the midst of a wildly competitive series with the Los Angeles Clippers. The Nuggets trail the series 2-1, but the Game 3 loss was a down-to-the-wire affair that presented a platform for high-level players to perform.
Porter made rookie mistakes, as one would expect him to, but he also put his All-World potential on full display.
Porter had some big games against the Utah Jazz, but many fans were underwhelmed with his postseason debut. He struggled defensively and looked the part of a player who couldn’t contribute value if he wasn’t scoring.
Thus far against the Clippers, however, Porter has begun to prove that he can be a player of legitimate value against an elite opponent.
Porter struggled in Game 1, but he bounced back with 11 points, seven rebounds, four offensive boards, and two steals in just 16 minutes in Game 2. Not only was he taking possessions away from the Clippers, but he was creating them for the Nuggets.
That set the stage for his tremendous showing in Game 3, when his minutes were increased and his quality of play followed suit.
Porter, going toe-to-toe with upside comparison Paul George, got the job done on both ends of the floor. He posted 18 points, 10 rebounds, another four offensive boards, and three steals in just 23 minutes of play.
Porter shot 8-of-17 from the field with the bright lights on him and accumulated a +/- of +6 during a six-point loss.
Some might argue that these games are flukes, but Porter was the No. 1 high school recruit in the country. Many viewed him as a lock to go No. 1 overall at the 2018 NBA Draft, but the back injury he suffered as a freshman prevented him from doing so.
Even then, most agreed that he’d be an early lottery pick—only for Denver to swoop in and stop the bleeding at No. 14 overall.
Porter missed the entirety of the 2018-19 season, but he showed this very potential throughout his de facto rookie campaign. He averaged 9.4 points and 4.7 rebounds in just 16.4 minutes per game.
Extrapolate the data and Porter averaged 20.4 points and 10.3 rebounds per 36 minutes—on a slash line of .509/.422/.833, no less.
Those are genuinely absurd statistics from any player, let alone a rookie. It’s also worth noting that Porter buried 62 three-point field goals in 55 games played, meaning he averaged 1.1 conversions per game and 2.5 per 36 minutes.
Considering he did so while shooting at a clip that was comfortably above 40 percent, it appears as though he could bottom out as a marksman from beyond the arc.
What makes Porter so compelling is that he’s proving to have multiple ways to put the ball in the basket. He’s an overwhelming force on the offensive glass—2.6 offensive rebounds per 36 minutes as more of a wing than a power forward—and is a three-level scoring threat.
For what it’s worth: That’s all helped Denver accumulate net ratings of +5.6 with Porter on the court and -12.6 when he isn’t during the 2020 NBA Playoffs.
That’s a difference of 18.2 points per 100 possessions.
Putting the concerns aside for a second, Porter is showing exactly why he was worth the pick at No. 14 overall. Whatever transpires in the future, the Nuggets are already seeing what it is that he’s capable of when healthy.
That alone makes it a worthy selection, even if the worst-case scenario does transpire.
Porter is an incredible talent who’s facing one of the best teams in the NBA and proving he can hold his own as a rookie. One can only hope that health will permit his growth, as he’s proving to be as advertised: A star in the making.
If the rest of this series is as rewarding as Game 2 and Game 3 were, Denver may just be able to pull off the upset of the Clippers.
The future remains uncertain, but Michael Porter Jr. has already begun to reward the chance that the Denver Nuggets took on him.