The Denver Nuggets are patiently awaiting the return of Michael Porter Jr. The sharpshooting forward missed all but nine games of last season with a back issue. His progress back to full health has been slow but steady and he was hoping to return in the playoffs but to no avail.
Fortunately for Nuggets fans, Porter said that he thinks he is back to being 100 percent and is excited to get back on the court.
Michael Porter Jr. on NBA TV: "I think I'm 100% at this point. It's a blessing. I feel good. I'm excited to get back on the court and play basketball."
— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) July 9, 2022
Michael Porter Jr. emerged as a strong scoring threat for Denver prior to his injury. He averaged 19.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game while shooting 44.5 percent from deep. Even with his weaknesses as a ball-handler and defender, he is a huge part of their future. Without him last season, Denver didn't have enough firepower around superstar Nikola Jokic for them to make a run in the playoffs.
Sadly for Porter, his back health has always been detrimental to his career. Despite being one of the top prospects in his draft class, concerns over his back issues made him slide down to the 14th pick. He shined for the Nuggets when healthy but as last season showed, he can be massively derailed when his back gets injured. In order for Denver to be its best, Michael Porter Jr. has to be at full strength.
Denver is looking to finally break through to the championship behind Jokic. They need Jamal Murray back in action as well, though the star guard is also making progress in his rehab from an ACL tear. After trading for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and signing Bruce Brown, Denver has more depth for Jokic this upcoming season.
The big three of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. should be enough for Denver to make a playoff run again. The Nuggets may need more to become a true championship contender.
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