Denver Nuggets: 4 Goals for Michael Porter Jr. for 2022-23
By Alex Murray
Michael Porter Jr. goals for 2022-23: Stay dialed in on D
If there’s one thing that the Denver Nuggets did not draft Michael Porter Jr. for, it’s his defense. He’s been ‘the guy’ since he was a teenager, and with a 6’10” frame and a jump shot as beautiful as Halle Berry, it’s unsurprising that he never felt the need to work on his defense.
However, playing alongside Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray will necessitate a change in that arena. While the Joker and the Blue Arrow are both great players, neither has ever been celebrated for a period longer than a fortnight for their defensive effort or acumen. Therefore, MPJ could certainly add some defensive prowess to his game to not only boost his value to the franchise, but more importantly, help Michael Malone’s Nuggets win.
In his first two seasons, MPJ was clearly struggling on D while putting up less-than-desirable defensive rating (how many points the player is giving up per 100 possessions) numbers of 112.4 and 111.9. Last season, though he played only a few games to start the campaign, he put up a 94.7 rating, showing that the big, smooth shooter was able to play some D when he wanted to.
When matched up with guys like Klay Thompson (1-4 against MPJ, per NBA.com) and Jordan Clarkson (1-3) he has been able to show what he can do on the less glamorous end of the floor. With the tools he’s been gifted and worked for recently on defense, all he needs to do is give the necessary effort on that end, which is what head coach Michael Malone has been seeing, according to The Denver Post, Mike Singer:
"“He’s committed to trying. That’s all I ever want. I’m gonna make mistakes, players are going to make mistakes, but if you genuinely care and are committed to trying and making the effort, then we’re never gonna have any problems. Michael has shown a tremendous amount of growth in that regard.”"
This season, he’s putting up a 109.8 rating, good for second on the Nuggets’ roster. Given his combination of size and length and athleticism (his wingspan is seven feet flat), it should not be surprising that the Columbia kid actually has some defensive chops.