Between back surgery and a draft-day slide, Michael Porter Jr. has not had the most auspicious start to his NBA career. And yet, he can still make an immediate impact for his Denver Nuggets.
A new member of the Denver Nuggets, Michael Porter Jr. has already experienced many ups and downs. He was once ranked second in his high school class by ESPN, and pegged by many draft experts as a contender to be taken with the first overall pick. Then, back injuries and character questions moved him down draft boards. Despite a rocky start to his NBA adventure, Porter has one skill he can rely on to firm up his basketball footing.
Not everyone is a big fan of Porter’s game. His fragility, inability to play defense low to the ground, basketball IQ, and propensity for ball-stopping are all legitimate concerns. Still, his feathery shooting touch is mesmerizing and he has the same standing reach as Anthony Davis. There is potential here.
Rewatching the (limited) film on Porter, could persuade you to be a little less critical of the man. While sifting through film of him playing against solid competition, one particular skill shines brighter than the others.
Porter is elite at running the floor. Specifically, he can perform all functions of the fast break. Despite being a 6’10” combo forward, Porter still possesses the end-to-end speed of many guards. He can also handle like them too. Whether it’s initiating the break or finishing it, Porter will be there to get easy transition buckets for his club.
You may not think fast break offense is important. Yet, according to NBA.com, last year’s NBA finalists both finished within the top four for frequency of possession in transition. The Houston Rockets led the league in points per possession (PPP) in this category, while the Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors all finished in the top eight as well. Easy buckets are important, folks.
Last season, the Denver Nuggets were perhaps the most mediocre team when it came to scoring transition buckets. They finished exactly 12th in transition points per possession and ran the fast break only 14.5 percent of the time, which was good for 15th in the league.
The Nuggets need to improve upon this statistic. In a survey conducted by NBA.com, general managers around the league named the Denver Nuggets as having the second-best home-court advantage. As cited by Chris Dempsey for the Denver Post, both scheduling and altitude reasons lead to players being tired when they visit Denver. The league also looked into taking away this advantage.
There is an opportunity for Porter to shine in these conditions. He was arguably the best grab-and-go player in this draft due to his size, agility and handle. So how does he do it? The clip below demonstrates how he snags a board then immediately heads up the floor.
Did you see how Porter quickly found a guard and then ran up the middle of the court? This can often result in an easy bucket for him. The Denver Nuggets have a handful of long range shooting guards who draw tons of gravity. This attention should often open up this central running lane for Porter.
In the next clip, Porter’s brother grabs the rebound. Still, the way Porter runs the court displays his uncanny talent for finding the soft spots in transition defense. This time, he finds a the gap between all five of Georgia’s players. As teammates Jamal Murray, Will Barton and Gary Harris run to the perimeter, this lane should be even more open for Porter.
Michael Porter Jr. can do more than find holes in a team’s transition defense, however. Perhaps what is even more impressive about him is the way he starts fast breaks directly from rebounds.
In this next video, keep your eyes on the way Porter stays low with his dribble and scans the court before burying a transition 3-pointer.
This next example is my favorite. It is not a high-flying fast break, but a transition opportunity from a missed shot. By the time Porter makes his mind up to go to the hoop, Florida State still has two defenders with their heads turned away from Porter.
Did you catch that? The most special part about this clip is that Porter did not have to do anything special at all. His physical traits allow him to dribble right at the 6’8″ Phil Cofer. When he reaches the paint, Porter simply shoves off Cofer and shoots over the defender. This is one of the most effortless scores you will see from any prospect in the 2018 NBA Draft class.
Lastly, Porter can do it as a facilitator too. Appreciate the hustle to find game tape and watch some old footage of Porter leading the break in the prestigious EYBL Peach Jam tournament. Porter rips a steal then goes behind-the-back before hitting teammate
for a layup.
According to Basketball-Reference.com, the Denver Nuggets spent nearly 298 minutes playing a lineup of Murray, Barton, Harris, Wilson Chandler and Nikola Jokic. With Chandler now playing for the Philadelphia 76ers, Porter could find himself soaking up those minutes. This lineup would feature five above-average 3-point shooters. Porter’s transition handling and vision could do wonders for this Nuggets team.
To maximize this talent, Porter must put on bulk. Battling with NBA bigs for rebounds is no easy feat. He already has the “go” part of grab and go mastered, but he must add muscle to retain his “grab” ability.
Still, he has knack for finding the ball off of misses. Sport-reference relayed that Porter took down 6.7 boards in only 17.7 minutes per game in college. While on the court, he grabbed a magnificent 32.5 percent of his team’s defensive rebounds and averaged 15.1 boards per 40 minutes.
Head coach Mike Malone should take advantage of Michael Porter Jr.’s special talent. Trey Lyles spent 30 percent of his time playing center last year. Pairing Porter as his other frontcourt partner could open up rebounds for Porter to grab and go. By sticking to what he does best, Porter could assure his career gets off to a promising start once he’s back on the court.