After balling out on Sunday afternoon to beat his former team, Michael Porter Jr. was asked if he’s surprised by his current play, and he explained that coming into the NBA, his expectation was to be the best player in the league, so this isn’t shocking to him at all.
It seemed like a bit of a subtle jab at the Nuggets, suggesting that he has always had this potential, but was never allowed to show it. But it wasn’t a full-on shot at the team that drafted him, as Mike made a point to emphasize all the unknowns around his injuries and how his durability and availability over the years are what he’s most proud of.
Porter Jr. was an elite prospect in high school, slated for the top of the draft, but multiple back injuries and surgeries derailed his hype, making him a risky pick at the back end of the lottery, where the Nuggets took him in 2018. He missed his entire first year, but was able to debut in his second year, and held up pretty well ever since, all things considered.
Mike was a rock-solid role player for the Nuggets, giving them excellent shooting and spacing, with steady rebounding. He was an important part of the team that broke through and won the 2023 title, the first in franchise history.
MPJ has taken his game to new level in Brooklyn
But this is a whole new MPJ that we’ve seen in Brooklyn. He’s getting the freedom and opportunity to lead an offense, and he is passing every test with flying colors. On the season, he’s averaging 25.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game on 49.6% shooting, 41% three-point shooting, and 81.2% foul shooting.
His usage and counting stats have gone way up, and his efficiency has been bordering on elite. He has also brought a solid defensive energy that has helped transform this Nets team lately, as they went 7-4 in the month of December, sporting one of the best defensive ratings in the league over that stretch.
It’s not like this Brooklyn team is contending for a title any time soon, but it’s still impressive to see what this roster has been able to do and how much they’re trending in the right direction, and it’s impossible to deny that Porter Jr. has been a huge part of that.
He kept it up on Sunday, hitting the Nuggets with 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists in a 127-115 win for the Nets. For now, MPJ got his revenge and got the last laugh at Denver’s expense, but something tells me this new “rivalry” is far from over.