With all of the moving and shaking going on due to NBA free agency, the Denver Nuggets looked like a strong candidate to build on a season in which they had earned the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
The team would be returning all of its core pieces after accepting Paul Millsap's team option, and young players such as Jamal Murray and Gary Harris were continuing to make tremendous strides. On top of that, 2018 draft pick Michael Porter Jr. was looking explosive in his recovery from a knee injury that forced him to miss all of this past season.
Unfortunately, Porter Jr. suffered a knee sprain during a scrimmage on Thursday afternoon, and will not play in the NBA Summer League as anticipated. Despite the setback, Nuggets assistant coach Jordi Fernandez preached optimism as he spoke to reporters about Porter Jr.'s situation:
Jordi Fernandez on Porter’s injury: “The most important thing is what we've seen so far from him and how excited we are. We're not worried at all about it. He's been part of this training camp. He's played, competed. We know the type of player he'll be for us…he’ll be back soon"
— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) July 4, 2019
Jordi Fernandez continued: "You feel bad because the kid has put in a lot of work and he was excited to play, but obviously the most important thing for him is to be ready for the NBA season."
— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) July 4, 2019
Porter Jr. was one of the most highly-touted prospects in the class of 2017 as a senior at Nathan Hale High School, then shocked recruiters by opting to return to his home state to play at the University of Missouri.
For all of his good intentions, Porter Jr. would play in just three games for the Tigers before suffering a torn ACL. He had arrived in Columbia as the presumptive No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. Instead, he fell to the Nuggets at No. 14.
Still, Porter's explosive athleticism is rare for someone with his size (6'10”), and he can also fill it up from the perimeter. The Nuggets will certainly be hoping that Porter Jr. can recover in time for the regular season, where he will expected to be a major contributor for a team that stands a chance at winning the Western Conference.
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