The Denver Nuggets could hardly believe their luck when they could actually get Michael Porter Jr. with the 14th pick in the draft. But there are also reasons for this. The former Missouri forward underwent complicated back surgery last year. Can Porter still succeed in the NBA?
Pick for pick, Michael Porter Jr.’s face darkened that Thursday evening at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Porter, who one year ago was considered the best prospect in the country, simply did not want to be called. “The teams at the top of the drag all told me I was their man,” the ex-Missouri player reported later. The Kings, the Hawks, the Grizzlies, the Magic, the Bulls, the Cavs, the Knicks, the Sixers, the Hornets, the Clippers – they all finally renounced Porter.
Only the Denver Nuggets at position 14 took pity and finally took the boy, who saw himself before the draft as a cross between Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo. What had happened? Probably it was not the statements that deterred the teams, but rather the threatening medical file. Porter played only three games in college because of a back surgery and even hinted that he might miss the year, as Harry Giles did in Sacramento this year.
This was no problem for Denver. The nuggets want to play for the playoffs anyway, so a young player like Porter is more of a wild card. It didn’t matter that the Mile High City franchise spoke to the forward for the first time just hours before the draft.
“I hadn’t thought at all that he was still available for us at that position,” admitted nugget GM Tim Connelly. In the end, Porter Denver fell into his lap because 12 teams got cold feet in front of them.
The nuggets, on the other hand, took the risk, as it’s not easy to find difference players. Denver is also not a destination for free agents, so it makes sense to take risks in the draft. Who would have thought in 2014 that this overweight center called Nikola Jokic would become a star?
The nuggets probably didn’t believe it themselves, but they hit 41 at the time.
Maybe they also managed a home run with Porter, Porter himself at least wants to make sure of that. “I’ll do everything I can to make this pick the best the organization’s ever made.”
The severe back injury does not seem to have damaged Porter’s self-confidence, which is understandable. The forward dominated high school, was voted MVP of the McDonald’s All-American Games and was considered the best player in his class before he was seriously injured in his first game for his college in Missouri.
Porter underwent a complicated surgery on the disc and only returned in the SEC and NCAA tournaments, where he was still very rusty in two games and only hit 33 percent out of the field. Before the draft, the fact that the former five-star recruit had to cancel the pre-draft workouts due to returning back pain was also aggravating.
“We’ve seen enough of him like that,” asserted assistant GM Calvin Booth. “He’s been on our radar since ninth grade.” And Porter was very popular, as Booth’s boss Connelly confirmed. “Before his injury, we listed him at the top. “You don’t get many chances of getting a player with top three potential in position 14.”
When the fans of Mile High City will see this potential, however, is still in the stars. Nuggets President Josh Kroenke doubted after the draft whether Porter would appear in the Summer League, even the question whether the rookie would play at all in the coming season could not or did not want to answer the son of media mogul Stan Kroenke.
But why do the nuggets think it’s worth the risk when so many red flags are waved? “We knew the risk. However, we think that the return exceeds the risk,” Kroenke analysed.
Porter is probably this year’s best scorer, blessed with skills unusual for his size. At 2.08 meters, the Small Forward has a very clean throw, can take pull-ups or fadeaways, he also had the NBA range in high school. The ball handling is also very acceptable, which can relieve the guards in particular at the beginning.
Of course he still makes many difficult decisions (bad throws, overlooking other players) at the age of almost 20, but there is hope that he can still eradicate this. There are also question marks in the defense some: Porter was supposed to be a very capable defender in terms of potential, but he showed it far too rarely, which is not surprising, as he was not required to do so in high school.
Should Porter not turn out to be a ball hog, he certainly fits more than well into the speed and creativity-based game of nuggets. Wilson Chandler will exercise his player option according to Woj, but whether Denver Restricted Free Agent Will Barton will pay appropriately is still completely open. Either way, the bank of nuggets needs more options, the rotation was already very thin in the meantime and Porter could help.
But at the foot of the Rocky Mountains you won’t be in a hurry. “We’ll be careful and make sure Michael is fully fit before he enters the field,” Connelly made clear. “We have confidence in the depth of our squad and we have confidence in our medical department.”
Patience also plays a role. Denver, unlike other teams in the league quagmire, are not forced to force a quick turnaround, even though they missed the playoffs for the fifth time in a row (albeit by a hair’s breadth). “Other teams needed a player to help immediately,” Kroenke explained.
“We’re not worried about next week, we’re not worried about next year. “We want the best for Michael Porter in the long run, because that’s also the best for the Denver Nuggets.”
In Colorado they seem to be convinced they’ve landed a real steal. With all the medical options, Porter may actually become a valuable NBA player. Imagine that Greg Oden had this chance in 2007. His pelvic obliquity would have been treated differently nowadays.
That’s why you don’t want to refer Porter’s self-confident words directly to the realm of fables. “I know I can be one of the best players in the league,” the rookie announced in his presentation. “It’s up to me and God if I can tap my potential. But I know that one day I can be one of the best players in the league.”