As the Nuggets prepare to take on the Clippers in a massive game 4 in LA, they are clearly doing so at less than 100%. Russell Westbrook left game 3 with foot inflammation and did not return; as of Saturday morning, he is listed as questionable for Saturday’s game.
Perhaps even more concerning, Michael Porter Jr. took a bad fall at the end of game 2 and sprained a shoulder joint. He doesn’t get enough credit for his toughness, and sure enough, he powered through and gave it a go for Denver in game 3. But the results weren’t pretty.
MPJ toughed out 35 minutes, but had just 7 points and 6 rebounds on 2/9 shooting. This came one game after he dropped 15 and 15 in game 2. The Nuggets can’t survive with this kind of performance from Mike, and after the game, he didn’t provide much optimism that things will get better anytime soon.
MPJ says shoulder injury is a “4 or 5 week recovery”
After the game, Vic Lombardi of Altitude TV talked with Porter Jr., and Mike told him it was painful to lift his shoulder over his head, said that this injury comes with a “4 or 5 week recovery”, and stated that he’s operating at around 20-30%.
This is horrifying news from Porter Jr., and makes you wonder if he should even be playing. The team needs his minutes so badly right now, but if he’s not even operating at 50% or providing any impact and production, at what point is David Adelman better off trying someone else?
Is it even worth playing Porter Jr.?
Things looked as ugly as possible in game 3, so it can’t get much worse. Adelman has already said that if Mike is available, he will play, and he’s too tough of a kid to sit out. But he’s clearly not helping the team right now. At a certain point, they’d be better off just trotting out guys like Peyton Watson, Jalen Pickett, Julian Strawther, and even Zeke Nnaji for some minutes.
It may not go well, but the last game didn’t go well either. Crashing out of the playoffs with a whimper and a bunch of injured players is a pathetic way to go out. We will see if Porter Jr. ends up suiting up or not, and with what’s sure to be an offseason filled with trade rumors, I’m sure he doesn’t want his Nuggets career to potentially end with him sitting out injured.
But whatever he provided in game 3 wasn’t any better. It’s very possible that this Nuggets roster just isn’t good enough, and the bench players will lead to an early death. But, when guys are this hurt, I’m not sure there is any other choice for the good of everyone involved.