Michael Porter Jr.: What happens when the shots aren’t falling?
The situation with Porter Jr. is almost the opposite of that with Gordon. Porter Jr. has been an incredible shooter for the Nuggets and provides an element of movement and floor spacing that makes this offense truly hum.
But we’ve seen Porter become streaky in past playoff situations, and when the shot isn’t falling, he can become a negative. He’s still not a great defender and he doesn’t provide a ton in the way of creation or playmaking.
Last season, there were times when the Nuggets opted to go with Bruce Brown instead of MPJ in big moments. Obviously they don’t have Brown this season and no bench player has fully taken over that role.
Porter Jr. is going to have to find ways to pick up his all-around game and help the team in ways other than making shots. Ideally, his shot never goes cold, but if it does he needs to step it up, keep the ball moving, work on getting to the basket, cutting, and giving maximum effort on defense and the glass.
Otherwise, Michael Malone may have to see what other options he has at his disposal. I’m sure he’d rather not rely overly on his young bench players, but if MPJ’s shots aren’t falling, he may not have a choice.