NBA players crave routine.
Imagine, then, the range of emotions Michael Porter Jr. experienced as a rookie.
Left out of the rotation to start the season. Hailed as a future pillar of the team a few months later. Relegated to the bench soon after. Then finished the season against LeBron James in the Western Conference Finals, playing in a “Bubble” no less.
Amid it all, Porter flashed so much scoring talent that he’s become a focal point of a Nuggets team expected to contend among the Western Conference elite this season, and Denver’s next potential star in the making.
For the Nuggets to win their first title, any number of things need to go right.
Jamal Murray needs to extend some version of his transcendent play in Orlando, carrying the consistency and defensive pride that made him among last year’s playoff standouts. Nikola Jokic must again be the selfless, playmaking virtuoso who elevates his teammates as one of the NBA’s best centers. The Nuggets can’t get wrecked by COVID, injuries can’t level their depth, and on and on.
But without any major additions to their roster this offseason, the onus falls on Porter, their 6-foot-10 sniper starting his second season, to help them make the leap.
“I’m gonna have to take a jump in my role,” Porter said. “Coach has been vocal about that.”
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Inside the “Bubble,” there was nowhere to hide. When Porter was targeted defending pick-and-roll plays during Denver’s first-round playoff series against Utah, he had to wear it. He was a liability on defense.
Despite torching the Disney court in the seeding games, leading the Nuggets with 22 points per game and 8.6 rebounds, coach Michael Malone knew Porter’s defense was untenable. Malone moved Jerami Grant into the starting lineup ahead of Game 4, the Nuggets having been bludgeoned by an average of 28 points the prior two games.
“We needed to try something different,” Porter said recently. “If that involved taking me out of the starting lineup, I was OK with it. We came back in that series. There was no weird feelings. Going into this next season, I kind of saw everything last season. … I went from DNPs (did not plays) to starting on a Western Conference Finals team in the playoffs. I learned a lot in one year.”
That reflective, thoughtful perspective stands in stark contrast to Porter’s blunt comments in the emotional aftermath of Denver’s Game 4 loss to the Clippers in the Western semifinals. Amid the frustration of a second consecutive 3-1 deficit, Porter complained about his touches and lamented the offense had become too predictable. Whether he was right or not, it was a moment of immaturity, a distraction Denver didn’t need on the brink of elimination.
Hearing Porter, 22, talk on the eve of a new season, less than three months after leaving Orlando, it’s striking to consider his growth. Feeling confident and secure in one’s place on a team has a way of crystallizing perspective.
“Everybody knows Will (Barton’s) a starter,” Porter said. “(Barton) saying that shouldn’t have been blown up the way it was because he has started, he has produced. That’s not immature or anything on his part. He views himself as a starter. I view myself as a starter. But we both know that if we want to be a part of something special, we gotta stick together, me and him individually.
“And then as a team, we just gotta be willing to accept our roles. If that’s me starting, if that’s him starting, if that’s him starting instead of Gary (Harris), whatever the case may be, we gotta stick together.”
The source of Porter’s assuredness comes in part because of Malone’s influence. The stubborn, defensive-minded coach was, at times, tough on Porter last season due to defensive lapses as well as an occasional penchant for circumventing the offense in favor of his own shot. But Malone also knows the potential Porter has. So does the rest of the league; no Nuggets player gets mentioned more in trade rumors.
“Michael’s greatest challenge is not gonna be the offense, will not be the rebounding,” said Malone, who credited Porter for a “really consistent” playoff debut. “Michael’s greatest challenge is understanding the importance of the defensive end and buying into that end of the floor. If he does that, he’s got a chance to be a spectacular player, not just an offensive player.”
Said Nuggets president Tim Connelly: “The biggest thing is gaining your teammates’ and coaches’ trust. With each (playoff) game, I thought he got better. … One of the greatest things about Mike is his want and desire to be really, really good. That fuels his work ethic. He’s an elite-level worker.”
Porter made marked strides in the “Bubble” after getting scrambled by Jazz star Donovan Mitchell in the pick-and-roll. His offseason focus? Improving his help-side awareness and on-ball defense.
“There’s no reason why I shouldn’t be a good defender,” Porter said.
* * *
When Porter went back to Columbia, Mo., this summer, he set his own schedule. Instead of staying at his parents’ house, he rented an apartment close to home. Outside of family, there were essentially three people in his orbit: his personal trainer, Michael Messer, Missouri’s strength and conditioning coach, Nicodemus Christopher, and his chef.
Porter was in the gym at least twice a day, lifting, conditioning or getting more shots up. His brothers – Jontay (with the Grizzlies), Coban, Jevon and Izaak – were all there, too. King-of-the-hill-style games were commonplace.
“Probably the most regimented I’ve seen him while working on his own,” said his dad, Michael Porter Sr.
While father and son worked on his shooting mechanics, footwork and basic dribbling, Porter and his trainer did their best to simulate Denver’s offense. Not that replicating an All-NBA center is an easy task, but Porter practiced dribble handoffs, picking and popping, the types of actions Jokic routinely deploys.
“A lot of the stuff I was working on during the offseason was involving all those different positions,” Porter said. “… I already feel comfortable spotting up and shooting, like a shooting guard. But I definitely would love to utilize my size at the four more, set screens and pop for open jumpers. I was working on those different things throughout the offseason because with the different look of our team, I’ll probably be put in different positions.”
Porter’s offseason commitment is just more proof he’s ready for the responsibilities that await this season. Whether that’s in a starting capacity or an elevated reserve role might not matter.
“When you want to be on a championship team, it’s gonna be players that have to sacrifice,” Porter said. “Whether that’s me, whether that’s somebody else. It’s what’s necessary if you are wanting to be part of a good team.”
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