Michael Porter Jr. may have achieved star status with the Brooklyn Nets this season, but the forward remains attached to the Denver Nuggets. Having won a title with the Nuggets in 2023, his connection with the team is understandable.
Michael Porter Jr. has been fairly vocal about being in favor of being traded from the Nuggets. However, during a recent appearance on “The Emily Austin Show,” when asked about his championship predictions, Porter Jr. hilariously revealed why he didn’t want to support his former team.
“I’d love it, and hate it, if Denver won,” Porter Jr. commented. “I’d love it because those are my friends. But I’d hate it because that means they got better without me. I’m like a toxic ex. Like, I would love it for all my individual teammates, but selfishly, that human nature part of me is like, ‘Dang, they shipped me off, and they got better and won a championship.'”
Despite his comments, Michael Porter Jr. eventually yielded, selecting the Nuggets as his favorites to win it all. While noting the development of players like Peyton Watson and the impact of Aaron Gordon, he had to acknowledge the roster strength, though also noting that they would only be a threat if they could stay healthy.
Given the challenges Denver has faced with injuries this season, health will undoubtedly be a major factor for the Nuggets moving forward. Now, with Jamal Murray also injured, the Nuggets find themselves in a corner again.
Have The Nuggets Been Better Without Michael Porter Jr.?
In the offseason last year, the Denver Nuggets made a significant move by trading Michael Porter Jr. to the Brooklyn Nets in return for Cam Johnson. While many viewed this move positively, there may be reason to believe that it hasn’t panned out just yet.
For starters, Johnson and Porter Jr. play different roles. On the Nuggets, Michael Porter Jr. was a lethal movement shooter capable of being a consistent threat from behind the arc. While he was immensely effective in this capacity, Porter Jr. didn’t offer as much defensively. To address this, bringing in a two-way wing with sharpshooting upside like Johnson seemed sensible.
Although Johnson’s skill set paired well with Nikola Jokic and the rest of the Nuggets’ roster, the forward struggled with injuries and consistent form this season. In 38 appearances, he has averaged 11.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 40.5% from three-point range.
Given that Denver has posted a 24-14 record in the 38 games Johnson has played in, it is safe to say that he has been impactful. But considering that they rank sixth in the West (39-25), it can be argued that they haven’t necessarily improved since Porter Jr.’s departure.
As Michael Porter Jr. mentioned, the Nuggets’ health issues have been their biggest undoing. In that light, assessing the team’s performance as worse without Porter Jr. would be unfair. But considering that the Nuggets boast the best offensive rating in the NBA (120.0) even without Porter Jr., the forward’s importance to the rotation can be brought into question.
