If it weren’t for his seemingly problematic back, Michael Porter easily could have been a top-five pick in last month’s NBA Draft. In fact, he was once projected to go No. 1 overall. Instead, it took 12 teams (the L.A. Clippers had back-to-back picks at No. 12 and No. 13) to ignore him on draft day before the Denver Nuggets gambled and took the former Missouri Tiger as the No. 14 overall selection. Apparently, several teams got scared of medical reports on Porter’s back released just days before the draft.
The Nuggets, however, decided to take a flier on Porter, an exceptionally talented forward with a fragile body. There have been talks about the possibility of the rookie sitting out the entire 2018-19 season, and the chances of that happening could be lesser now following a report by Steve Aschburner of NBA.com that Porter went under the knife to repair a herniated disk.
F Michael Porter Jr., who slid to Denver at No. 14 in NBA Draft due to ongoing back issues, had another surgery last week. His camp believes latest procedure = breakthrough grasp of his herniated-disks problem. Not their plan to have him sit out 2018-19 season.
It could be remembered that Porter also had surgery done on his back last year after he sustained a back injury right in his very first game for the Tigers in November. Porter would return to action months later, appearing in two more games, including one in the NCAA National Tournament.
If healthy, Porter could become a future cornerstone of the Denver franchise, but for now, he’ll have to prove first that his body can survive the grueling grind in the NBA.
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