With the 2017-18 NBA season well underway, basketball fans recently got a little more bang for their buck with the recent start of the 2017-18 NCAA season as well. Unfortunately, one of its projected biggest stars in Missouri freshman Michael Porter Jr. has already been ruled out for the year after undergoing a season-ending back surgery.

It is a truly unfortunate loss considering Porter Jr. was expected to be a bonafide top pick in next year's 2018 NBA Draft. According to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe, Boston Celtics superstar Kyrie Irving had an optimistic outlook for Porter Jr. moving forward.

“He's a talent. We've seen guys get drafted [like] Joel [Embiid] that didn't play for what, two years? Three years? You never know what can happen as long as he gets the opportunity and he makes the most of it and understands that things like this happen and it's part of your athletic career. Sometimes, the biggest thing is how you respond from it.”

Irving dealt with a similar situation during his brief time in college for Duke. Much like Porter Jr., Irving suffered a toe injury early on and played just 11 total games with the Blue Devils.

However, that didn't affect Kyrie Irving's chances of becoming the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. Although Michael Porter Jr. still has a long way to go in the recovery process, the potential he has showcased over the past few years should still make him a lottery pick.