Michael Porter Jr: Nuggets’ long-awaited third star

There have been doubts as to whether the Denver Nuggets have enough star power to push deep into the postseason.

Their playoff bid ended in the second round last season at the hands of the Portland Trail Blazers, a team with better perimeter talent in CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard.

In that run, Gary Harris and Will Barton struggled mightily, combining to average 24 points on a measly 40% from the field.

Jamal Murray, despite nearly matching the point total of Harris and Barton in the series, wilted in Game 7, shooting a dismal 4-of-18 from the field in a game they lost by 4.

Despite Nikola Jokic being at his best in that series, averaging 27 points, 14 rebounds, and 8 assists, it wasn’t enough to make up for the discrepancy in perimeter shot creation.

Enter Michael Porter Jr.

Porter’s controversial opinions about the pandemic notwithstanding, the 14th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft is beginning to look every bit the part of what the Nuggets are looking for in a co-star for Jokic and Murray.

Porter torched the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday, August 4, to the tune of 37 points and 12 rebounds in a 121-113 overtime win, showing major flashes of what made him one of the most sought-after high school prospects in recent memory.

In the Nuggets’ motion-based offense, everything runs through Jokic in the high post as everyone else aims to be wide open through a series of screens and cuts.

Porter is an adept cutter and his 7’0 wingspan and abundant athleticism helps him finish over bigger defenders with ease.

Porter is able to contort his body in mid-air, allowing him to finish over the best rim protectors in the league.

Porter’s wingspan also enables him to shoot over the top of defenders, allowing him to get a shot off over a tough contest.

His length also makes him a positive on the boards. In his limited minutes so far this season, he’s had a healthy 16% rebounding percentage, putting him on par with big men like John Collins and even better than Anthony Davis (14.8%).

After snatching the defensive rebound, he has the ball-handling ability to start the fastbreak and finish it with a stop-and-pop three:

When the game slows down, he has the ability to create something out of nothing off the dribble:

While he still has a long way to go defensively, he has shown flashes of being a disruptor with his size, strength, and length:

Injuries are going to play a part as to whether Porter can reach his potential with the Nuggets. He was only available to Denver at the 14th selection due to concerns about the durability of his back and hip.

But if Porter remains healthy and continues the upward trajectory he’s on, he’s shown that he has more than enough talent to be able to fill the Nuggets’ need for a third star, elevating them from a middling playoff team into a title contender, with his game perfectly complementing that of established Nuggets stars Jokic and Murray. – Jedd Pagaduan/Rappler.com