The Denver Nuggets have been good this second despite the absences of two of their key stars. Nikola Jokic's wingmen, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., have been non-factors this season as they nurse an ACL and back injury respectively. Jokic has done very well without them but will definitely have more use for them in the playoffs.
Fortunately for Denver, one of them could be back soon. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Porter could be cleared for on-court contact within the next week and return to the court in March. He has been working on shooting and should soon be able to scrimmage again.
Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., is progressing to be cleared for on-court contact within the next week, freeing a path for him to return to the lineup sometime in March, his agent Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports tells ESPN. Story: https://t.co/kGgAmFvgZs
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 27, 2022
This is a fantastic update for Porter, whose timetable was previously uncertain. He was expected to miss the rest of the regular season after undergoing surgery three months ago. Now, if he continues to progress, he could be back in time to get some regular-season reps in before the playoffs start.
It will be very important for Porter to get his groove back. He was terrible in the nine games he played this season, averaging just 9.9 points and shooting 35.9 percent from the field. Last season, he averaged 19.0 points and shot 44.5 percent from the 3-point line, making him invaluable to the Nuggets. His fantastic scoring efficiency made him one of Jokic's favorite targets.
Jokic will benefit greatly by getting one of Denver's best scorers and shooters back. If Murray is able to come back and play at a star level, the Nuggets could get back to the Western Conference finals.
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