Michael Porter Jr hasn’t been around the league for that long, yet he’s managed to get in uncomfortable positions and rub a lot of people the wrong way.
Most recently, he kinda called his coach out for “not getting more players – him – involved in the offense,” claiming that they wouldn’t be able to beat the Clippers with just two players:
“That is up to the playcalling, the coaches and whose hands they want to put the ball in. We kept going to [Nikola Jokic] and [Jamal Murray] and they are two amazing players, but I just think to beat them we need to get more players involved. We have to move the ball a little bit better. We can’t be predictable against that team,” Michael Porter Jr said after his team’s loss in Game 4.
And even though he’s got a valid point, it’s not his place to call the coach out in front of the media on the verge of elimination. Not yet, not ever. That’s why Damian Lillard, Paul Pierce, and several other players reacted and turned against the rookie out of Missouri.
Notably, far from being angry or trying to hit back at those guys, Porter Jr was humbled by their insight and claimed that he respects the veterans:
“Dame and those guys I respect those guys, especially those superstars talking to a young guy like me you want to listen and not have an ego,” Porter Jr said.
At least, Michael Porter Jr can say that he backed the talk on the court in Game 5. He played some impressive defense down the stretch – which clearly isn’t his forte – and looked focus.
He got to his spots, grabbed a couple of offensive boards, and even hit a dagger three to keep his team alive another day. Now, it’s time to finish the job.
