The Denver Nuggets are in the middle of a tight positioning battle out in the West right now. At the moment, they are sitting at the sixth spot in the conference with just six regular-season games remaining in their schedule.
Unfortunately for reigning MVP Nikola Jokic and Co., star forward Michael Porter Jr. has apparently suffered a concerning injury setback in his road to recovery. There was some optimism about MPJ potentially returning for Denver during their last few regular-season games, but with this recent update, that's now looking highly unlikely (h/t Mike Singer of the Denver Post):
Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. suffered a minor setback in recent weeks amid his rehab from back surgery, league sources told The Denver Post, and no decision has been made about his immediate future.
The setback, according to one source, stemmed from overcompensation and overwork amid his rehab. Another source familiar with Porter’s injury called it “nothing major.”
That's a tough pill to swallow for the Nuggets. They also haven't provided a firm timetable for Porter's return, which could mean that he's still not close. The 23-year-old is recovering from his third major back surgery and it is quite concerning that this recent setback was brought about by “overcompensation” and “overwork.” Did the Nuggets/Porter push too hard?
On a more positive note, Porter joined his team recently on their two-game road stand. On Monday night, Porter was seen putting up shots before Denver's victory over the Charlotte Hornets:
Michael Porter Jr. getting some work in prior to tonight’s game vs. Charlotte. pic.twitter.com/sBhMDrpV3D
— Mike Singer (@msinger) March 28, 2022
MPJ is clearly progressing towards his much-anticipated return to action but at this point, it's getting a bit worrisome. Porter played in Denver's first nine games of the season before being forced to the sidelines due to injury.
It is worth noting that according to reports, Jamal Murray is now already gone past Porter in terms of their respective roads to recovery. It sounds like Murray could be back before MPJ takes the court again. If all goes according to plan, the Nuggets could get both Porter and Murray back for the playoffs. Nikola Jokic has been an absolute beast this season, but we all know he can't do it alone in the postseason.
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