Denver Nuggets head coach Mike Malone is slowly integrating Michael Porter Jr. into the lineup by getting him to play more in the first and second quarters.
Per Harrison Wind of DNVR, Malone believes that this tactic will allow the game to slow down for him, noting that Porter Jr. has a lot of ‘scary potential.'
“The more he plays, and I’m going to continue to play him, the more he gets those 1st and 2nd quarter minutes where it’s just not the end of the game…the game’s going to slow down for him. And when the game does slows down I think he’s got scary potential.”
Malone on MPJ: “The more he plays, and I’m going to continue to play him, the more he gets those 1st and 2nd quarter minutes where it’s just not the end of the game…the game’s going to slow down for him. And when the game does slows down I think he’s got scary potential.” pic.twitter.com/v6CGuMYh8X
— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) December 13, 2019
Porter was the 14th overall pick by the Nuggets in the 2018 NBA Draft. However, due to injury concerns, the Nuggets opted to sit him out for one whole year. As such, the 2019-20 season is his official rookie campaign.
So far, he's averaging 4.5 points and 2.7 rebounds in 9.0 minutes per game. As a bench player, he usually gets his minutes at the end of the game when the game is already in the bag for the Nuggets.
But as Mike Malone reiterated, he's going to field the 21-year-old with the second unit, giving him more relevant exposure. In their latest win, a dominant 114-99 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, Porter dropped six points on 2-of-4 shooting from the field, as well as one rebound. He had three turnovers as well.
Malone's move is an effort to turn Porter into one of the critical pieces of the Nuggets' campaign for the title. The West is a whole lot tougher this year. Every single player in his roster needs to play at an elite level.
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