A fantastic season for the Denver Nuggets, unfortunately, came to an end after being eliminated by the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference Semifinals. With different lineup changes along with injuries, the Suns had the Nuggets outnumbered and dominated the entire series. The biggest part of the sweep was the leadership of Chris Paul, both scoring and facilitating.
Coming into this season, the Nuggets had very high expectations to elevate into a true championship contender. They were coming off of their first Western Conference Finals appearance in 11 years the season prior. Not to mention they overcame two 3-1 series deficits in the process. The young Nuggets showed resilience in the previous postseason that was expected to carry over into this campaign. To some degree, it did until injuries occurred.
The Nuggets finished the season with a 47-25 record, which was third in the Western Conference. As Nikola Jokic was continuing to play at an MVP level, the rest of the roster followed in his lead. Then Jamal Murray tore his ACL, leaving the team without a second option. With Murray sidelined for the rest of the season, it opened for another talented player in Michael Porter Jr. to step up tremendously.
Porter averaged 19.0 points per game during the regular season. He truly stepped up in Murray’s absence. In March and April, he averaged 22.1 points per outing and showed a lot of resilience for the Nuggets, proving he can become a backup scorer next to Jokic.
Porter’s performance in the postseason did not match with the way he contributed towards the end of the regular season. Despite his inconsistencies in the NBA Playoffs, Nuggets coach Mike Malone should want to continue to keep Porter as one of their offensive threats. Here are two reasons why the team should keep Michael Porter Jr.
Takes pressure off of Jokic and Murray
Imagine Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray not worrying about double teams and traps? That could happen because they will have another elite scorer in MPJ. As a possible second or third option once Murray returns, Porter will continue to be aggressive on offense, providing space and opening opportunities to score from the perimeter.
Porter has already shown to be a great complement with Murray. Oftentimes, Murray has become the playmaker, setting up Porter for buckets. It’s safe to say that the two have proven they can co-exist, so there’s not a question if Porter will have to sacrifice or not once Murray makes his return.
He shows he wants to improve
The young stud shows that he has All-Star written all over him. Porter wants to be more than a role player. He wants to make a difference with the Nuggets and contribute to a championship. He’s already shown that he wants more opportunities after his bold statement last season about getting more touches. This is a player who wants to continue to grow under the system that he is placed in.
The Nuggets love taking chances to develop their young talents and Porter is the perfect player to continue to have. At 22 years old, he is a prolific scorer who can play inside and outside while also being coachable. Michael Porter Jr. will continue to become a necessary piece that can help the Nuggets' chances of a potential NBA Finals run in the future.
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