Denver Nuggets: 5 goals for Michael Porter Jr.’s rookie season
5. Get healthy and stay there
Realistically, this is by far the most important goal of Porter’s rookie season. However, seeing as most of the others depend on this one, it made sense to mention it first.
Coming into the 2017-18 college basketball season, Porter was seen by many as the top prospect in the 2018 NBA Draft class. With an insane combination of size, athleticism, length and shooting, it made perfect sense. He has the skill-set of a shooting guard, in a Kevin Durant-type of body. What’s not to love about his NBA potential?
Then, Porter got hurt in two minutes into Missouri’s first game, forcing him to undergo back surgery that would cost him all but two games. Understandably, teams were wary of his long-term upside considering the fragility of back injuries. It only made matters worse when he was forced to cancel a Pro Day due to hip spasms.
Sources: NBA Draft lottery teams were informed Wednesday that Missouri’s Michael Porter Jr., a projected high-lottery draft pick, canceled second Pro Day workout Friday because of hip spasms and would undergo tests.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 14, 2018
Hence, the draft-day slide that landed him with the Nuggets.
Despite all of the concern, Porter was drafted in the lottery and now heads into his rookie season with sky-high expectations for a Denver team that needs a superstar scorer to tie it all together. The former Tiger can be all of that and more. That is, if he gets healthy and stays there.
At this point, that’s all Porter and the Nuggets staff should be worried about.