Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone says small forward Michael Porter Jr. isn't guaranteed to play in the season opener on Wednesday against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Porter missed his entire rookie season recovering from back surgery. He had a solid preseason showing for the Nuggets. Porter scored nine points in 16 minutes in his NBA debut against the Blazers. He followed that up with 12 points in 12 minutes versus the Los Angeles Clippers and 11 points in 21 minutes against the Phoenix Suns.
However, this doesn't necessarily mean Porter is going to suit up against Portland:
Malone did say that Michael Porter Jr. is not guaranteed to play tomorrow night against the Trail Blazers.
— T.J. McBride (@TJMcBrideNBA) October 22, 2019
It's unclear why Malone might not play Porter on Wednesday. The Nuggets may want to ease the youngster back into action.
When he was in high school, Porter was arguably the best player in the country. In fact, some NBA execs pegged him as the No. 1 draft prospect for the 2018 draft.
However, a back surgery while he was at the University of Missouri caused Porter’s draft stock to drop. Porter also had a second back procedure after getting drafted by the Nuggets.
There are some, though, who believe the Nuggets may have gotten a steal in Porter, because when he’s healthy, he could turn out to be the best scorer from the 2018 draft class.
Porter showed in the preseason he can score the ball with ease, but he might have to be patient before he finds a consistent spot in the Nuggets' deep rotation.
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