Nets' lottery pick says what all Nuggets fans already knew about Michael Porter Jr.

Most Nuggets fans are excited about the offseason changes and the direction the team is taking, but it’s important to remember what the team has lost in trading Michael Porter Jr. to the Nets. But one of MPJ’s newest teammates, the #8 pick in the draft, Egor Demin, iterated why fans will miss Mike in Denver: “Now I have one of the best shooters in the league, which is in the world.”

Porter Jr. was not without his flaws. Sure, it would have been nice to see him more consistently locked in on defense and rebounding. I would have loved to see him expand his game off the dribble. It would have been great if he could actually run some offense and get to the rim at times.

But one thing about Mike was undeniable: he was an absolute sniper. Since entering the league, MPJ has been one of the best movement shooters in the entire NBA. Being able to provide that skillset with his 6’10”, rangy, athletic frame was basically a cheat code.

For his career, Porter Jr. is shooting over 40% from three on six attempts per game. Anyone who has watched the Nuggets knows that many of his attempts are tightly contested, and he often has to have a super-quick release, making his ridiculous efficiency even that much more impressive.

MPJ has great opportunity on young Nets team

Porter Jr. did a great job filling his role for the Nuggets, but he seems excited about his new opportunity in Brooklyn. He’ll be one of the veteran leaders on a team that just made five selections in the first round of the draft.

The team is in the midst of a full-on rebuild, and Porter Jr. will be a go-to guy on a team that will likely struggle to win games. He will have much more of a chance to expand his game, especially on the offensive end, where he’ll be a focal point and play finisher for many of the team’s new creators like Demin, Nolan Traore, Danny Wolf, and others.

Porter Jr. should be remembered fondly in Denver despite his contract

At the end of the day, the Nuggets simply had to move on from MPJ. He wasn’t returning anywhere close to the value dictated by his contract. The Nuggets have already fixed the roster by spreading his $38 million salary between Cam Johnson, Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Jonas Valanciunas.

But Porter Jr. was still a very important and valuable player in Denver for many years. Now he’s on a team where the contract won’t be foreboding, and he won’t be constantly faced with pressure to win every night. It will be interesting to follow his journey in Brooklyn, but Nuggets fans should be rooting for Mike and looking forward to him burying many more threes.