After a strong start to the series, Michael Porter Jr has suddenly fallen off a cliff for the Denver Nuggets in the past two games. On Saturday, The 22-year-old scored just three points on 1-of-3 shooting in Denver's 115-95 Game 4 blowout loss against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Porter has recently opened up about his struggles and revealed the one key factor that has played a significant role in the decline of his play. As it turns out, Blazers swingman Norman Powell has had a lot to do with this:
“He’s doing a good job,” said Porter Jr. on Powell, via Clevis Murray of NBC Sports Northwest. “Lower center of mass. He’s not worried about anything else besides sticking close to me and not letting me get shots up. The shots I’m normally getting are not there.
“I can’t let myself be as small of a factor as I was the last couple of games in my opinion. They’re doing a good job of executing their gameplan for me. It’s a learning experience for me.”
The Blazers understand how important Porter is for the Nuggets' offense and they seem to have found a solution for the same. Powell is no superstar, but what he brings to the table — particularly on the defensive end — is something that has clearly had a significant impact for Portland.
Nuggets head coach Michael Malone echoed Porter's thoughts on Powell. The veteran shot-caller also made it abundantly clear that he expects more from MPJ moving forward:
“My job as a head coach is to help Michael Porter,” said Malone. “I also told him he has to help himself, being a lot more physical. Norman Powell was doing a good job, give him credit. Michael’s gotta be a lot more aggressive, a lot more physical himself. He’s gotta get on the glass, he’s much better rebound than he’s shown.”
The Nuggets face off against the Blazers on Tuesday in a pivotal Game 5 mathcup. With the series currently tied at 2-2, you cannot overstate the importance of coming out on top for either team.
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