For Michael Malone and the Denver Nuggets, the future is bright.
Nikola Jokic is a bonafide superstar you build a team around. Jamal Murray has improved every year, occasionally showcasing Jordan-esque playmaking ability, and performing his best when the lights are the brightest. The 26 year old big man from Serbia and the 24 year old guard from Canada are the kind of franchise cornerstones you salivate over. Say what you will about Michael Malone, but he has done well maximizing each of their potential, culminating last year with a trip to the Conference Finals against the LeBron and Anthony Davis led Lakers. One of the youngest teams in NBA history to ever go that far.
While both Murray and Jokic have proven time and again they can be relied upon in big moments against the very best in the game, they’ve been lacking a reliable third piece to the puzzle. Welcome Michael Porter Jr. to the discussion.
It’s no secret the Nuggets are counting on MPJ to blossom into that third all-star for Denver (I know Jamal Murray has yet to make an all-star team, but it’s only a matter of time). That’s been evident since they drafted him in 2018. While Michael Malone and his staff have taken it slow with the 21 year old, it seems Porter Jr. has finally cemented his place in the starting lineup, albeit after some Covid complications to begin the year. This is the first, and most important step in the next phase of the Denver Nuggets.
But it’s not enough.
It’s imperative that Michael Malone, Jamal Murray, and Nikola Jokic hop on board the MPJ train before it’s too late. Otherwise the train will leave the station with many in Denver wondering what could have been. I say this with trepid optimism that things will work out. These 3 have all said the right things in the media. It seems as if they’re just as aware as everyone else that MPJ’s development is of utmost importance in order to eventually compete for a title. I just wish sometimes their actions spoke louder than their words. Especially the man leading the charge, Malone. It’s absolutely indefensible for Porter to be sitting on the bench at the end of games. But low and behold, that’s exactly what happened the other night in Atlanta against the Hawks. You know what’s a really good way to piss off your budding superstar? Sit him in crunch time against his childhood best friend. Trae Young torched the Nuggets and MPJ was nowhere to be found, sitting on the bench like he’s a fringe rotation player. This is inexcusable, and Malone is responsible.
The Nuggets coaching staff has worked hard to establish a culture in Denver. One where being lazy on defense puts you on the bench. My problem with the decision to sit MPJ the other night is, while Porter has shown at times to be a defensive liability, he has worked hard to improve that part of his game. Additionally, he wasn’t even close to being the problem that night. Jokic had a rare bad game, Murray couldn’t guard a parked car, and the bench unit stood around on defense all night like human traffic cones. It was an abysmal performance on all fronts. Despite the lackluster play from most everyone on the roster, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray got the opportunity to scratch and crawl their way back in crunch time, despite that night's performance. It’s past time the Nuggets treat MPJ the same way.
We’ve all seen the potential. The uncanny ability to score over anyone and everyone. MPJ doesn’t just have potential on offense, he has the potential to be one of the most special players in the league on that side of the floor. Anyone inside or outside of the organization can see it. His development into fulfilling that potential is the most important thing we can do right now, 2021 be damned. I’m not saying to give up on this season. We have special players who have shown the ability to do special things come playoff time, but we also have to be realistic. Losing Jerami Grant was a big deal. Not having him to guard the likes of Kawhi Leanord, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant is significant. Zeke Nnaji has shown the potential to fill that void, but that’s asking a lot of a 20 year old rookie. The reality of the situation is that this may not be our time. But that’s okay! This Nuggets team is young but skilled. Our two first round picks are looking like steals. PJ Dozier looks like he’s taken a solid step forward and Facu Campazzo and JerMichael Green have been extremely underrated offseason acquisitions.
The time is now to fully integrate Michael Porter Jr. Figuring out if he can learn how to play alongside Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic will be the most important thing to come out of this year. If he can, great! The ceiling is the moon. If he can’t, fine. We’ll use the money we would have spent on him to fill out our roster the best we can.
The point is, we have to find out.
No more keeping MPJ on a leash, let the man feast.
