Denver Nuggets rookie Michael Porter Jr. has been having an impressive individual showing in the ongoing 2020 playoffs. However, the 22-year-old forward understands that he still has a lot of work to do, particularly in getting better at the defensive side of the ball.
Porter talked about being a more complete player prior to their pivotal Game 3 showdown with the Los Angeles Clippers.
“Every game, I feel like I’m just getting a better idea of what we want to do defensively,” the 6-foot-10 Nuggets forward said, per Sean Keller of the Denver Post. “I’ve just got to make sure the effort’s there every night.”
“Communication is a big way to get yourself involved in the game,” Porter added. “I’m just trying to do better at just being in communication with my teammates out there and not being silent … Especially when things aren’t going great on the court, as a team, we tend to get a little quiet. We need everybody to just step up and just use their voices and just make sure that we’re on the same page at all times.”
Michael Porter Jr. put up an impressive stat line of 18 points, 10 boards, three steals and one assist in Game 3. However, his promising outing went for naught, as the Clippers took the W and the 2-1 series lead with a 113-107 victory.
Porter has been given extensive minutes by Nuggets head coach Michael Malone upon the resumption of the 2019-20 campaign. He took the place of injured swingman Will Barton, who remains hobbled by knee soreness.
While MPJ's offensive prowess has given Denver a huge lift offensively, it's quite evident that he cannot replace Barton's impact on the other end of the floor.
Porter does have the size and athleticism to keep up with the Clippers'superstar duo of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, but he certainly needs to get better and be more aggressive defensively.
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