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Michael Porter Jr

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Re: Michael Porter Jr 

Post#361 » by TunaFish » Sat Apr 10, 2021 12:52 am

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Re: Michael Porter Jr 

Post#362 » by THE J0KER » Sat Apr 17, 2021 4:11 am

As we know, Malone traumatized Porter in the first half of the season by striping from MPJ starting job in favor of Barton and playing under 20 minutes per game and also blaming him instead of Millsap for most of the Nuggets frontcourt defensive problems. After another Harris injury at the end of January, Barton was redirected to SG so Porter gets his minutes and starting job back, but his shooting confidence was on the lowest level ever on that point, so he shoots in the first 18 days of February with a pathetic 36%FG% (23%3p%). Porter lately proved himself again as an elite shooter and rebounder but seems he is still not mentally fully recovered from Malone's special treatment, so his shooting clearly underperforming since February in 2nd halves compared to what is his potential and what he already regularly deliver for Denver before halftime. Some NBA players whole career tend to underperform in the 2nd half, but Porter never has this issue before February, so it must be a temporary mental issue (thank you, coach!).

By far the most significant indicator of this MPJ dropping shooting confidence issue after halftime is his Free Throw percentages in 1st and 2nd half. In his rookie 2019-20 season, MPJ FT% in the 2nd half was even higher than in the 1st half (86% over 79%). This season before February Porter's FT% percentages were literally the same in both halves (83.3% each). But then this 2nd half shooting issue started despite his 1st half shooting improvement. In February MPJ FT% in the 1st half was 79% and in the 2nd half just 60%. in March MPJ FT% in the 1st half were literally 100% perfect but in the 2nd half was Shaq-like 56% which is arguably one of the most bizarre FT% split monthly stats ever seen! Now in April MPJ 2nd half FT% finally recovered to 80% but that is still underperforming compared to his 94% FT% this month before halftimes.
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Re: Michael Porter Jr 

Post#363 » by skywalker33 » Sat Apr 17, 2021 2:50 pm

THE J0KER wrote:As we know, Malone traumatized Porter in the first half of the season by striping from MPJ starting job in favor of Barton and playing under 20 minutes per game and also blaming him instead of Millsap for most of the Nuggets frontcourt defensive problems. After another Harris injury at the end of January, Barton was redirected to SG so Porter gets his minutes and starting job back, but his shooting confidence was on the lowest level ever on that point, so he shoots in the first 18 days of February with a pathetic 36%FG% (23%3p%). Porter lately proved himself again as an elite shooter and rebounder but seems he is still not mentally fully recovered from Malone's special treatment, so his shooting clearly underperforming since February in 2nd halves compared to what is his potential and what he already regularly deliver for Denver before halftime. Some NBA players whole career tend to underperform in the 2nd half, but Porter never has this issue before February, so it must be a temporary mental issue (thank you, coach!).

By far the most significant indicator of this MPJ dropping shooting confidence issue after halftime is his Free Throw percentages in 1st and 2nd half. In his rookie 2019-20 season, MPJ FT% in the 2nd half was even higher than in the 1st half (86% over 79%). This season before February Porter's FT% percentages were literally the same in both halves (83.3% each). But then this 2nd half shooting issue started despite his 1st half shooting improvement. In February MPJ FT% in the 1st half was 79% and in the 2nd half just 60%. in March MPJ FT% in the 1st half were literally 100% perfect but in the 2nd half was Shaq-like 56% which is arguably one of the most bizarre FT% split monthly stats ever seen! Now in April MPJ 2nd half FT% finally recovered to 80% but that is still underperforming compared to his 94% FT% this month before halftimes.



Quite a drama-queen statement there, a good thing this forum is just opinions, but it does attempt to make your post more astounding. Malone is a coach, his job is to mold players to work in unison to the benefit of his offense and defense, not to TRAUMATIZE them. If you have some factual data that MPJ is or has been mentally impacted, I'd love to see that psych eval. And where did Malone place that BLAME of the team's frontcourt defensive woes on MPJ instead of Millsap, can you provide an example of that, I'd love to see one of those as well. He may have pointed out that MPJ needs to get better at the defensive end of the floor, something we all have seen but that doesn't equate to what you extrapolated it to be.

As for MPJ's FT shooting woes, can you point out another shooter who has not gone through a slump in his career ? C'mon Joker, not saying that Malone didn't yo-yo MPJ early on in the season, we all saw it. But to crucify Malone for a shooting slump to this extent is a bit much, I'm just glad he appears to be stepping up in Murray's absence. I DO like the chemistry he and Jokic are developing as a duo.
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Re: Michael Porter Jr 

Post#364 » by TunaFish » Thu May 6, 2021 9:46 pm

On this episode of The Void, The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor dives into Michael Porter Jr.’s offensive explosion this season and breaks down how he’s playing alongside Nikola Jokic, what areas of his game he can improve next, and how his ascension into stardom will impact the Denver Nuggets.

https://www.theringer.com/video/2021/5/6/22422437/michael-porter-jr-is-ready-to-become-star-denver-nuggets
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Re: Michael Porter Jr 

Post#365 » by skywalker33 » Wed May 12, 2021 4:31 pm

Was looking into MPJ's scoring since Murray went down, he's scoring an average of 25.4ppg since April 14th. I find it interesting because that's the type of scoring average we've been expecting from Murray but we've only seen him do anywhere close to that is in the playoffs last year. Murray seems to light up for the big game spotlight but MPJ looks to be that consistent scorer that we need supporting Jokic every night. With the team dynamics in a good spot though, is MPJ vaulting himself into the #2 spot of our Big 3 already ?? When Murray is alongside Joker, MPJ's stats have been lessened (still noteworthy) but not as dominant as without Murray on the court, is this an issue for the players to resolve or does Malone need to create direction for this meshing of talent ?
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Re: Michael Porter Jr 

Post#366 » by The Rebel » Thu May 13, 2021 3:12 am

skywalker33 wrote:Was looking into MPJ's scoring since Murray went down, he's scoring an average of 25.4ppg since April 14th. I find it interesting because that's the type of scoring average we've been expecting from Murray but we've only seen him do anywhere close to that is in the playoffs last year. Murray seems to light up for the big game spotlight but MPJ looks to be that consistent scorer that we need supporting Jokic every night. With the team dynamics in a good spot though, is MPJ vaulting himself into the #2 spot of our Big 3 already ?? When Murray is alongside Joker, MPJ's stats have been lessened (still noteworthy) but not as dominant as without Murray on the court, is this an issue for the players to resolve or does Malone need to create direction for this meshing of talent ?


While Jokic has proven this year that he can be a true number 1 scorer, I still don't think he wants to be that guy. I think he is most comfortable as the 2nd option where he can happily run the offense and pick his spots. I have said for over a year now that I think MPJ is going to be our number 1 scorer. While they are still working on chemistry, I think Jokic is developing enough trust in MPJ to eventually allow him to be the number 1 guy.

Overall I think MPJ is a natural born leading scorer, he is borderline arrogant, he has tremendous belief in himself, and he obviously is putting in the work, so I think he takes that over by the time Murray gets back. People keep saying his handles have to get better, but if you look at the actual pre-draft measurements MPJ was 6'10.75" and looks as tall as most centers. He is never going to have Jokic's handles which are amazing for his size, right now his handles are pretty damn good for a Center sized guy.


'The thing with Murray is what is he going to come back as? While a handful of guys have come back just as effective after an ACL tear, most guys it has affected them. Murray has never been the quickest guy, he has always struggled to keep up with the quicker guards, and he has never had a great 1st step, the ACL injury seems to affect all of those. So I think Murray is going to be forced to play SG permanently, as he should still have his jumpshot, he should still be able to get around the slower SGs, and he can defend most SGs around the league. I could see him going into that Ray Allen type role that Allen had with the Celtics. Taking the big shots, driving enough to keep defenders honest, running the pick and roll in the right matchups, and mostly being a spot up shooter.

It is going to be on Malone and the coaching staff to convince Murray to take that role. I think Murray has always viewed himself as co=#1 options with Jokic, and in a lot of ways he has been in the big games, but now he is going to have to accept what his body can and cannot do. I think moving to SG and being the 3rd option will keep him overall healthier as well.

To me I can see it working as MPJ puts up the big numbers in the 1st half, and Jokic likes to take over in the 4th quarter, so Murray can still play a similar role in the 4th quarter as he always has, and if we have Morris as a spot up shooter and Gordon to cut and run the occasional iso play than I think we still have a very good contender if we can get a decent bench together.
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Re: Michael Porter Jr 

Post#367 » by longtallbrad » Fri May 14, 2021 12:44 pm

The Rebel wrote:
'The thing with Murray is what is he going to come back as? While a handful of guys have come back just as effective after an ACL tear, most guys it has affected them. Murray has never been the quickest guy, he has always struggled to keep up with the quicker guards, and he has never had a great 1st step, the ACL injury seems to affect all of those. So I think Murray is going to be forced to play SG permanently, as he should still have his jumpshot, he should still be able to get around the slower SGs, and he can defend most SGs around the league. I could see him going into that Ray Allen type role that Allen had with the Celtics. Taking the big shots, driving enough to keep defenders honest, running the pick and roll in the right matchups, and mostly being a spot up shooter.

It is going to be on Malone and the coaching staff to convince Murray to take that role. I think Murray has always viewed himself as co=#1 options with Jokic, and in a lot of ways he has been in the big games, but now he is going to have to accept what his body can and cannot do. I think moving to SG and being the 3rd option will keep him overall healthier as well.

To me I can see it working as MPJ puts up the big numbers in the 1st half, and Jokic likes to take over in the 4th quarter, so Murray can still play a similar role in the 4th quarter as he always has, and if we have Morris as a spot up shooter and Gordon to cut and run the occasional iso play than I think we still have a very good contender if we can get a decent bench together.


Nice analysis. I think that's a reasonable projection regarding Murray's comeback and optimal role. Are either Morris or Campazzo up to the task of serving as the other starting guard and secondary playmaker to Jokic? I worry as it is about the Nuggets lacking much in the way of size and defensive intensity in the backcourt.
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Re: Michael Porter Jr 

Post#368 » by TunaFish » Fri May 14, 2021 6:49 pm

longtallbrad wrote:
The Rebel wrote:
'The thing with Murray is what is he going to come back as? While a handful of guys have come back just as effective after an ACL tear, most guys it has affected them. Murray has never been the quickest guy, he has always struggled to keep up with the quicker guards, and he has never had a great 1st step, the ACL injury seems to affect all of those. So I think Murray is going to be forced to play SG permanently, as he should still have his jumpshot, he should still be able to get around the slower SGs, and he can defend most SGs around the league. I could see him going into that Ray Allen type role that Allen had with the Celtics. Taking the big shots, driving enough to keep defenders honest, running the pick and roll in the right matchups, and mostly being a spot up shooter.

It is going to be on Malone and the coaching staff to convince Murray to take that role. I think Murray has always viewed himself as co=#1 options with Jokic, and in a lot of ways he has been in the big games, but now he is going to have to accept what his body can and cannot do. I think moving to SG and being the 3rd option will keep him overall healthier as well.

To me I can see it working as MPJ puts up the big numbers in the 1st half, and Jokic likes to take over in the 4th quarter, so Murray can still play a similar role in the 4th quarter as he always has, and if we have Morris as a spot up shooter and Gordon to cut and run the occasional iso play than I think we still have a very good contender if we can get a decent bench together.


Nice analysis. I think that's a reasonable projection regarding Murray's comeback and optimal role. Are either Morris or Campazzo up to the task of serving as the other starting guard and secondary playmaker to Jokic? I worry as it is about the Nuggets lacking much in the way of size and defensive intensity in the backcourt.


Both Morris (when not injured) and Campazzo have surprised this season. Your question will soon be answered in the coming playoffs but I would not discount that either or both may rise to the occasion. Defensive intensity may have actually improved with Compazzo.

Size is an issue particularly with the Lakers. However, some other teams (like Portland) rely on smaller guards and if that match up occurs. we will see whether there is enough defensive intensity.
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Re: Michael Porter Jr 

Post#369 » by TunaFish » Mon May 17, 2021 9:14 pm

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Re: Michael Porter Jr 

Post#370 » by The Rebel » Mon May 17, 2021 9:33 pm

longtallbrad wrote:
The Rebel wrote:
'The thing with Murray is what is he going to come back as? While a handful of guys have come back just as effective after an ACL tear, most guys it has affected them. Murray has never been the quickest guy, he has always struggled to keep up with the quicker guards, and he has never had a great 1st step, the ACL injury seems to affect all of those. So I think Murray is going to be forced to play SG permanently, as he should still have his jumpshot, he should still be able to get around the slower SGs, and he can defend most SGs around the league. I could see him going into that Ray Allen type role that Allen had with the Celtics. Taking the big shots, driving enough to keep defenders honest, running the pick and roll in the right matchups, and mostly being a spot up shooter.

It is going to be on Malone and the coaching staff to convince Murray to take that role. I think Murray has always viewed himself as co=#1 options with Jokic, and in a lot of ways he has been in the big games, but now he is going to have to accept what his body can and cannot do. I think moving to SG and being the 3rd option will keep him overall healthier as well.

To me I can see it working as MPJ puts up the big numbers in the 1st half, and Jokic likes to take over in the 4th quarter, so Murray can still play a similar role in the 4th quarter as he always has, and if we have Morris as a spot up shooter and Gordon to cut and run the occasional iso play than I think we still have a very good contender if we can get a decent bench together.


Nice analysis. I think that's a reasonable projection regarding Murray's comeback and optimal role. Are either Morris or Campazzo up to the task of serving as the other starting guard and secondary playmaker to Jokic? I worry as it is about the Nuggets lacking much in the way of size and defensive intensity in the backcourt.

Thank you.

To me it is not intensity, but rather the strength and weaknesses of our guards on defense.

Morris isn't the quicker guy in the league, he struggled against the ones who are blessed with it.

Campazzo depends on his quickness and struggles guarding guys who are as quick as him.

Dozier has the length that seems to bother both Lillard and McCollum, but he is not quick enough to stop Lillard.

Shaq maybe the best guard we have to throw at Lillard, he is strong and quick enough to guard him but you know he is going to commit a lot of fouls just due to lack of respect.

Rivers should be good for a f w minutes against both was well, but he is not going to stop either one.

Barton has been embarrassing against the Trailblazers his whole career, not only his defense but his insistence on trying to play hero ball to show they made a mistake trading him.

Gordon should be able to guard Powell reasonably well, Green and Millsap should be fine against Melo, and the Trailblazers do not have much offense other than that at forward, so we should be oka my there.

To me it is pretty obvious that we are going to lose the backcourt battle against the Trailblazers, the question is if MPJ can play well enough on both ends to help out Jokic who has a battle with Nurkic and Kanter. If MPJ can score 25 PPG on 60+% ts% while providing good help defense at the rim than I think we can win the series. With Jokic putting up 25/12/8 and any of the other guys scoring 15ppg we should be good on scoring. It sucks that our entire series depends on a 2nd year guy, but so far he has shown he has the capabilities.
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Re: Michael Porter Jr 

Post#371 » by THE J0KER » Thu Sep 23, 2021 11:15 pm

I'm already nervous about MPJ still not signed a 5-year max-contract extension (167/5 in his case)! It is no-brainer for me, but now is less than 4 weeks left before the deadline, and still no news. There are even some rumors that Nuggets is not going to max MPJ but just to catch max offer next summer which will be a 99% max deal anyway, but on 4 years and with worse chances to hold him once the contract expires and with MPJ lower trade value in the eventual trade. Health concerns are not excuses anymore after MPJ has zero back problems in 2020 and 2021, and is overall healthier these two years than almost all guys drafted before him in 2018 draft (look how many games in 2020 and 2021 missed Ayton, Bagley, SGA, J.Jackson, W.Carter...). For all-star level prospects 5-year extension is a no-brainer because their value will be highest in that 5th year.

I'm in love with Porter's basketball talent since his very first steps in Denver, but when it comes to MPJ's off-court activities I very often roll my eyes. But seems that with him becoming more mature news about his private and public life will be less strange - we need Durant copy on the court not off the court :lol:
So, this can be fun, we already have "Stubborn Mike" in the past 5 seasons, and now Denver Nuggets gets a "Curious Mike":

https://clutchpoints.com/nuggets-news-michael-porter-jr-talks-about-curious-mike-stephen-curry-nikola-jokic-getting-his-brain-scanned-and-more/
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Re: Michael Porter Jr 

Post#372 » by Manolito » Fri Sep 24, 2021 11:19 am

Where do you get the fact that extending his contract next offseason we can only offer him 4 years? He can still be extended 5 years next offseason, but if he performs well, the last one will be a Player Option for sure, which is something Nuggets´ avoided so far with Jokic and Murray.
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Re: Michael Porter Jr 

Post#373 » by TunaFish » Tue Sep 28, 2021 1:26 pm

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Re: Michael Porter Jr 

Post#374 » by skywalker33 » Wed Sep 29, 2021 2:27 am

Four things it appears MPJ has been working on this summer, all will show this TC

1. Ball-handling - for a wing his size, if he gets his handles down, watch out. This will help him maneuver around the slower bigs and protect the ball from the smaller, quicker wings.

2. Decision-making - Finding the correct way to counteract the defenses thrown his way. Incorporating the ball-handling lessons, this endeavor should increase his offensive capabilities, making him unstoppable.

3. Strength - Malone has gone on record noting his added girth. Posting up a 6-11 SF isn't going to be easy if he can muscle them down, opponents will have to put a slower big on him, creating two mismatches for the Nuggets

4. Leadership - MPJ has been in Bol Bol's ear all summer trying to harness all that talent. Didn't have to reach out but could pay big results. Also has been developing a stronger rapport with Jokic, building chemistry on one of the biggest relationships while Murray is out.
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Re: Michael Porter Jr 

Post#375 » by TunaFish » Wed Oct 13, 2021 8:02 pm

Wow, the author hit this right on the head:

"With every season, Porter moves a bit more freely, a bit more explosively. He feels lighter. His game could go almost anywhere, blistering beyond the limits of any role he takes on, whether now or when Murray comes back to make the Nuggets whole again. His ultimate legacy as a player is, at this early stage, unfathomable."

https://www.theringer.com/2021/10/13/22723584/michael-porter-jr-denver-nuggets-covid-19
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Re: Michael Porter Jr 

Post#376 » by TwoStarz » Wed Oct 27, 2021 5:53 pm

Whats wrong with this guy? Not the start I bet Nuggets fans were hoping for, or expecting.
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Re: Michael Porter Jr 

Post#377 » by DaFan334 » Wed Oct 27, 2021 8:09 pm

TwoStarz wrote:Whats wrong with this guy? Not the start I bet Nuggets fans were hoping for, or expecting.


Naw, definitely a bit of a shooting slump to start the year. He looks to be lacking a little bit of confidence and has been hesitant with his shot at times. Hopefully, he busts out of it soon. I imagine he will, he's too talented not to honestly.
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Re: Michael Porter Jr 

Post#378 » by THE J0KER » Wed Oct 27, 2021 10:30 pm

2019-20 TS%62%
2020-21 TS%66%
2021-22 TS%44% (4 games only)

Still not enough reasons for the panic, no way someone forgets to shoot at 23 :)

We have in the past dramatic TS% down case of Gary Harris, but he was for years in the sad "injury after injury" vicious circle.
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Re: Michael Porter Jr 

Post#379 » by TunaFish » Thu Oct 28, 2021 12:39 am

Same happened to Murray at the start of the last two seasons. It's a mental thing with shooters.
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Re: Michael Porter Jr 

Post#380 » by The Rebel » Wed Nov 3, 2021 2:45 am

I wonder how much the new ball is affecting MPJ? Last time they tried to change the ball shooting percentages took huge hits, and so far this season it looks like they have dropped considerably as well. Someone needs to get him in the gym and start putting up a ton of shots so he gets used to the new ball.

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