When Michael Porter Jr. entered the NBA for the first time, all the fans at the Pepsi Center, home of the Golden Nuggets, stood up and applauded. Although it was only three minutes, and the Golden Nuggets had already taken a big lead over the Heat. But Michael Porter Jr. turned garbage time into a wonderful game.
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Every time Michael Porter Jr. holds the ball, the fans will give him applause and encouragement. When he grabs an offensive rebound and easily dunks, the audience cheers loudly. When he gets an open jumper through the screen in the next possession, the whole audience gets excited. A bigger cheer.
But this is not a game. Denver fans have been very supportive of Porter so far. Everything he does will make the fans happy. From the moment he comes on the court, the fans will start to clamor, even if it is two months later. It's the same today. Even if it's just a few ordinary shots, they will be cut into highlights by fans and go viral. "I try not to let these affect me." Porter said in an interview, "I want to help the team win first. mission."
Before this season, Porter was a very mysterious presence in the entire NBA. He was regarded as a super player in high school. He has a wing with the size of a center forward, a long and wide shooting range, and the athletic ability to directly dunk on a fast break. . However, back surgery limited him to playing only 53 minutes in college, and also caused his draft pick to drop from the expected top three to the 14th overall pick.
Since high school, Porter has been touted as a super star. However, after being over-publicized and injured, he was criticized and praised by many people. But now he has the momentum to start again. "I think the fans seem to see it. I'm excited to play and I'm enjoying the atmosphere."
However, even if Porter is healthy, if he wants to become the main rotation of the Golden Nuggets, he must have enough performance and time. After 9 DNPs in the first 6 weeks of the season, he began to have stable playing opportunities throughout December. His current performance is an unsolvable offensive weapon, with a per36 of 19.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.3 hot pot and a 53.5% shooting percentage.
Although he seemed to be a poor player at times, he also scored 19 points on 8-for-10 shooting against the Kings and a career-high 25 points on 11-for-12 shooting against the Pacers.
Porter's current talent is enough to prove that he has the opportunity to be an important puzzle piece for the Golden Nuggets' future. It also requires Golden Nuggets head coach Michael Malone and the front office staff to think about where to place this 21-year-old young talent before the trade deadline. In terms of position, in exchange for the immediate combat ability that can win now, it is better to continue to develop. "I always tell everyone that he is a unique player. He has proven his skills in the NBA." Malone said, "He needs to remain stable, not One is hot and the other is cold."
Another game against the Kings,Nikola JokicHolding the ball in the high post, he saw Porter getting a chance to isolate De'Aaron Fox in the low post, so the 7-foot center passed to the 6-foot-10 forward and the 6-foot-3 guard scored easily, just like the quarterback passed the height. Only equal receivers can catch the same ball.
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Denver has the most unique offensive model in the NBA. Jokic is the only ball-control center in the league and the hub of the entire offensive end. His ultra-wide field of vision can easily pass the ball to any gap that appears. This is a new system that Porter needs to adapt to. In his NBA career, he was the team's first ball handler and used mismatches to attack in isolation. In high school, he had unlimited opportunities as long as he dribbled the ball into the half court. Has the right to fire and never needs to move to allow teammates to feed the ball.
Many young stars will struggle due to the drastic reduction in the time they hold the ball, but Porter seems to be adapting very well so far. He is a natural cutter without the ball. His tall body allows him to easily obtain shooting space and has a good shot. Feel and offensive methods
The advantage of being able to shoot and cut makes him a super-efficient offensive weapon. "After I receive the ball, I will shoot directly from the outside without the opponent touching me. If the opponent touches me, I will cut to attack the basket." Porter said.
Partnering with Jokic is also the best start to Porter's career. He hardly passed the ball in high school, but the top wings in the NBA are usually good playmakers. However, Porter currently averages only 0.4 assists and 0.8 times per game. Turnovers, converted into per36, are 1.4 assists and 2.7 turnovers. He is better at attacking than reading the game.
And Jokic is a master of organization that makes it easier for all attackers, and he is the first to pass the ball. Although he is the player who touches the ball the most in Denver, he almost always passes it out (as shown in the table below), which also allows Porter to Concentrated offense.
Because of Porter's efficient offense, he has become a good partner for the organizer. Porter currently ranks 12th in the league in points per touch, second only to pure shooters JJ Redick and Troy Daniels and star offensive aces James Harden and Devin Booker.
Currently, the best scoring arrow next to Jokic is the 6-foot-4-inch Gary Harris. Imagine if he were replaced by the 6-foot-10-inch Porter. Jokic would become a super pie feeder throughout the night. "Our offense will not only look at One or two people perform, and everyone often touches the ball every possession." Monte Morris, the backup point guard of the Golden Nuggets, said, "I always tell Porter to just be yourself when he comes on the court, and the offensive system will help you score easily. "
This pair, who are only 24 and 21 years old respectively, will definitely become a more powerful threat year by year. Although he has occasionally achieved good results in limited playing time, Porter said that he has not yet adjusted to his best condition. In addition to not being able to effectively create space through dribbling, the explosive dunk scenes that were so common in the past have not yet been converted to what he is now. A higher level of competition.
"I still feel frustrated sometimes, but now I'm just grateful for being able to play. I'm still getting back the feeling I had in the past, and I have a feeling my career will definitely be more than this. My injury is really annoying. It may take years to fully recover, but I feel like I'm on the right path," he said. "But now I don't have any discomfort, which is actually amazing. After every game, I feel like I'm on the right track. No longer feeling sore and achy, that's a really big improvement. I feel like I'm getting better month by month and week by week."
But for the Golden Nuggets, no matter where their next operations will take them, this season is definitely not their main battlefield, because their rise has just begun. Jokic's game requires little reliance on physical fitness, so his prosperity with the Nuggets should last for a relatively long time. What the Nuggets need to do now is to find helpers for Jokic as much as possible to receive his passes.
It will take several years for Porter to develop, but he may become the most critical piece in the Nuggets' grand blueprint. "I will definitely have a long-term career," Porter said. "People respect me. expectations, I will definitely make their dreams come true.”
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