In the NBA, maybe more than in any other American sports league, any pertinent regular-season background regarding a club or a player tends to be consumed by the playoffs.
Jamal Murray has benefited from this fact throughout the Nuggets’ five-year winning streak. This time, it is not in Michael Porter Jr.’s favor.
After Denver’s early elimination from the playoffs during Game 7 against the Timberwolves, Porter made the decision to take the responsibility on Sunday night. In the second-round series, he averaged 10.7 points on 37.1% shooting from the field. In the final four games, he made just 10 of his 35 attempts at the field, for a total of 25 points.
Porter declared, “This was a terrible series,” following a 98-90 Game 7 loss in which he shot 3 for 12. “I felt that, among the seven games we played, I may have had one or two decent ones. The method they were guarding had a part in it. The fact that my shot wasn’t falling played a part. It’s difficult because I know we would have won this series if I had performed at my usual level. As a team, there are many things that could have been done differently, but I am certain that we would have won the series if I had done my share. And I have to accept that.
It suddenly complicates assessing Porter’s season in an unforeseen way. The regular season served as evidence of his renewed durability following three back surgeries.
Porter broke his previous career high of 62 games played, appearing in 81 of 82. With a 39.7% 3-point shooting percentage and a season high of 16 points and 7 rebounds, he broke the franchise record for most 3-pointers made. Just four NBA players—Steph Curry, Donte DiVincenzo, Paul George, and C.J. McCollum—made as many 3-pointers and hit them at a better percentage than Porter. There are several inches separating each of them from Porter in height.
After the All-Star break, MPJ’s shooting splits were higher than 50/40/90. He became increasingly at ease with his movement, his descending skills, and his physique. He was Denver’s second-best offensive player against the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs, demonstrating his continued scoring efficiency. Throughout the series, he averaged 0.481 points per touch while shooting 55% from the field and 49% from three.
In the second round, that figure fell to 0.252. Jaden McDaniels from Minnesota pinned him, making it difficult for Porter to move away from the ball. The Timberwolves declined to assist with him. Between rounds, his touches per game dropped by 4.8. He attempted 5.2 fewer shots per game.
Michael Malone, the coach of the Nuggets, stated, “I know sometimes it’s an oversimplification of the NBA being a make-or-miss league, but we just did not make enough shots in this series — Michael included, but he wasn’t the only one.” “Maybe to help ourselves, as a team we did not make enough shots, and I did not contribute enough looks to help ourselves.”
In the sixth and seventh games, when Minnesota began double-teaming Nikola Jokic more often from the outside, Malone was happy with the looks Porter was getting. By then, though, the six-foot-10 forward was out of sync. In both games, he was 1 for 6 from beyond the arc.
He poses such a threat due of his stature. Prior to Game 7, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch stated on Saturday, “You have to be extremely aware of how far off you are on him at any given moment.” “Because of his enormous size, high ball release, quick release, and quick side-step dribble.” Thankfully, we can also impose some size on him, which may irritate him.
Porter signed a five-year, $179 million maximum contract before the 2022–2023 season, and he is currently two years into it. He made about $33.4 million this season, and in 2024–2025, he should make about $35.9 million.
Just as the playoffs were starting, several of his siblings were involved in a series of legal issues. The Toronto Raptors two-way player Jontay Porter was barred from the NBA for life following an investigation into a controversy involving sports betting. Their younger brother Coban, who killed a lady in a drunk driving accident in Denver last year, received a six-year prison sentence the same week. In order to attend the sentencing hearing, MPJ skipped Denver’s last practice prior to the first-round matchup. Then, Jevon, the third younger brother, was taken into custody in Missouri while being investigated for driving under the influence.
“I won’t sit here and pretend that it wasn’t a hardship or that I wasn’t thinking about it all the time. But following Game 7, Porter remarked, “That’s still not an excuse. “I’ve improved as a player since this series. Compared to this series, I’m a better shooter. You must be able to distinguish between on-court performance and off-court affairs in order to play in the NBA. I so have no justifications. .. I apologized to my teammates. It seems like this is my fault.