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Michael Porter Jr. was once touted to be a future No. 1 overall pick in the NBA, but that estimation was way off target by 13 notches, as the former Missouri Tiger forward was taken 14th overall in last month’s NBA Draft in Brooklyn by the Denver Nuggets.
Of course, Porter would have been drafted sooner or even fulfilled his earlier top-pick projections if not for a back injury that nearly cost him an entire season in Columbia. A medical report ahead of the 2018 NBA Draft also appeared to have hurt his stock, as teams were left concerned that they might waste a high draft pick on a talented but damaged good. The Nuggets saw this as an opportunity to nab Porter, but the decision has also left them wondering when exactly they can see their rookie in action.
According to Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly during an interview on ESPNU, there’s not going to be a guaranteed date for Porter’s debut until at least once the team is assured that the swingman is in the pink of health (h/t Nick Kosmider of The Athletic).
Tim Connelly, being interviewed on ESPNU, on the Michael Porter Jr. timetable: “The only thing we're certain of at this point is that we won't get him out there until he's 100 percent.”
Michael Porter Jr. sustained a back injury right in his very first game as a Missouri Tiger in November. He would later undergo a surgery but managed to recover just in time to re-join the Tigers in March during the SEC Tournament and the NCAA National Tournament. All told, played in just a total of 53 minutes spread out across three games in college.
The Nuggets are reportedly considering giving Porter the Ben Simmons treatment, which is to sit him out for an entire year, though, nothing is set in stone right now in relation to the team’s immediate plan for their prized rookie.
