After being traded from the Denver Nuggets, Michael Porter Jr. finds himself in a completely different setting with the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets, far from contenders unlike the Nuggets, represent an unfamiliar environment for Porter Jr. However, this situation could also be a unique opportunity for the young forward.
On the Nets’ roster, Michael Porter Jr. is expected to embrace the role of the primary scoring option, a stark contrast to his role as a catch-and-shoot threat in Denver. The 27-year-old shed light on embracing and adjusting to this role while speaking with the media after training camp. He said:
“It’s just different spots on the floor that I’m trying to get comfortable in, specifically the mid-post area.”
“I feel like I can score 6 to 8 points easily. Just getting comfortable in there, facing up, and shooting over the top, or bumping somebody and getting downhill,” he continued. “In camp, that’s been a place for me that I feel really comfortable in that mid-range area. Obviously, on our Denver team, that was a kind of spot that obviously Joker was in a lot, sometimes we post AG up in the mid post.”
Michael Porter Jr.’s statement paints a clear picture of the situation in Denver. Although he himself was an extremely gifted scorer and a valuable piece on the roster, it was evident that he wasn’t the primary scoring option. With the likes of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray having more latitude in dictating the flow of the offense, Porter Jr. was reduced to a tertiary role, limiting his growth as an offensive player.
However, the opportunity to develop this aspect of his game in Brooklyn’s current environment is promising. Given the team’s current makeup, it is evident that the 27-year-old will have a lot more sway in governing the team’s offensive approach, primarily by taking over scoring duties.
“It’s [the mid-range] somewhere that I feel very comfortable getting to my shot from,” Porter Jr. continued. “And I think that’ll be a place that down the stretch of games, when things slow down, I can utilize that.”
The emphasis on operating in the midrange game paints a fairly clear picture of the forward’s approach to offense. Although the mid-post is rarely used in the modern game, it is still widely considered the most effective means of scoring points, a craft most of the game’s greats mastered.
With averages of 18.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game on 50.4% shooting from the field and 39.5% from three-point territory last season, with the latitude to attempt more shots, the potential for Michael Porter Jr. to see an increase in scoring production is noteworthy.
In this regard, internal sources in Brooklyn even expect the forward to compete for the scoring title, with Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young adding that he could average over 25 points per game.
The upcoming season will certainly be an intriguing one for the Nets. After making use of all their picks in the draft this year, acquiring Michael Porter Jr., and bringing back Cam Thomas for another season, Brooklyn is far from being a contender. However, given the talent at their disposal, they could be one of the most exciting offensive units in the league.
