The Brooklyn Nets don't have a chance when Michael Porter Jr. isn't on his A game. Porter's subpar play over the last month has illustrated his importance to his team's ability to compete.
The 6-foot-10 sharpshooter was among the NBA's most efficient scorers during the first half of the season, averaging 25.6 points on 48/40/85 shooting splits across his first 38 appearances. However, he's cooled significantly following an All-Star snub, averaging 19.0 points on 40.5 percent shooting from the field and 18.2 percent (10-of-55) from three across his last seven appearances.
The Nets are 1-6 during that span, with opponents outscoring them by 89 points.
“My shot hasn’t felt this off since I can remember,” Porter said after shooting 2-of-6 from three during Tuesday's 123-114 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. “For the last four or five games, I feel like I've just been off. But that’s what happens when you’re out of rhythm, and you don’t play for a while. People who aren't basketball players don't understand that you can really lose your timing and your touch in two or three days of not playing. So not playing [in the last two games] pre-All-Star break, then not getting in the gym much during it, I think I’m paying the price for it.”
Michael Porter Jr. said he feels out of rhythm after missing games before the All-Star break and not getting in the gym during his time off:
“My shot hasn’t felt this off since I can remember. For the last four or five games, I feel like I've just been off. But that’s what… pic.twitter.com/wkAVry3I11
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) February 25, 2026
While Porter pointed to his extended layoff as the reason for his shooting regression, he also struggled during his final two games before the All-Star break. The former Denver Nuggets star scored 30 total points on 2-of-16 shooting from three across a pair of losses to the Los Angeles Lakers and Orlando Magic.
Michael Porter Jr. hits three-point wall amid Nets losing streak
Porter's elite shooting during the first half of the season was especially impressive given the difficulty of his shot diet. Through his first 38 games, the 27-year-old led the NBA with 205 tightly-contested (2-4 feet of space) three-point attempts, 53 more than James Harden (152) in second and 108 more than Duncan Robinson (97) in third. He converted 36.1 percent of those attempts.
However, Porter has shot just 3-of-24 (12.5 percent) on tightly-contested threes over his last seven games. He's also shot 4-of-23 (17.4 percent) on open threes (4-6 feet of space) and 2-of-7 on wide-open threes (6+ feet of space) during that span.
While such regression isn't entirely surprising, it's handicapped the Nets, whose primary creators alongside Porter are rookies Nolan Traore and Egor Demin. Brooklyn has posted the NBA's worst offensive rating (105.0) over its last nine games.
“I don’t think teams are doing anything different. Every time he shoots the ball, I think it’s going in,” Jordi Fernandez said of Porter's struggles. “The last couple of games, he’s done a great job finishing cuts and putting pressure on the rim. He hasn’t seen the ball go in as much, but he’s letting it fly and the shots are going to go in… Obviously, [opposing teams] put the best defender on him and sometimes multiple guys, but they were doing that before. He’s got to keep shooting, keep finishing cuts, spacing the floor and making the right plays when he sees bodies in front of him. I’m not concerned at all.”
Porter's shooting slump could indirectly benefit Brooklyn.
Following five straight losses, the Nets have moved into third place in the draft lottery standings. They're tied in the win column and two back in the loss column of the Indiana Pacers, who sit in second. If the season ended today, Brooklyn, Indiana and the Sacramento Kings would each hold the best odds of landing the No. 1 pick (14.0 percent) or landing inside the top-four (52.1 percent).
While draft position will be the main storyline surrounding the Nets the rest of the way, Porter said the team still has much to play for.
“This is a new situation that I’ve been in, but no basketball game is meaningless. It’s all part of the journey,” he said. “This team, we’re not just looking at this year, we're looking at the overall scheme and goals for the next one, two, three, four, five years. All these games matter for us in terms of growth, continuity and chemistry. Sometimes it’s hard to focus on that, but we’ve got to come in and work every day and realize it’s a bigger picture. At the end of the day, we’re playing basketball, a game we all love to play.”
