One of the biggest storylines that developed during the 2018 NBA Draft on Thursday night was the notable drop that former Missouri forward Michael Porter Jr. took in the first round falling to the 14th overall selection by the Denver Nuggets. Much of this came about due to him undergoing back surgery that caused some concern for what could lie ahead of him in the NBA.
According to Harrison Wind of BSN Denver, Porter Jr. shed some light on the situation stating that he could play right now but it wouldn't be at full strength.
Michael Porter Jr on if he could play in an NBA game today: “I feel like I could play. I could play but I could be healthier.”
— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) June 22, 2018
These comments from Porter Jr. do point to that he is still working his way back from the injury that cost him nearly his entire freshman year at Missouri. It is an ailment that had forced him to cancel a pair of pre-draft workouts last week that likely drew more concerns from teams about his NBA prospects.
The Nuggets have taken the risk on him given what he could offer on the court when healthy as he was widely regarded as being the potential first overall pick in this year's draft last year at this time. When healthy, he has shown that he can be a huge impact player offensively with his ability to score in a variety of ways despite being 6-foot-10. Porter Jr. can create his own shot while operating effectively off-the-dribble and stretch the floor out to beyond 3-point range.
Denver has knowingly made this selection with the possible injury concerns in the picture with him out of the gate to begin his career. There likely won't be any rush to put on the court if he's not ready to do so at full strength. If he's able to move past the injury concerns, this could be one of the biggest steals of this year's draft.
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