Welcome to the NBA Hangover. We jot down NBA stuff mostly from last night that we want to talk about. Check it out.
Michael Porter, Jr. has always been talented. It’s all about staying healthy for him.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Darron Cummings/AP.)
Basketball circles knew how good Michael Porter, Jr. was. He was rated a five-star recruit by many publications and was possibly going to be a #1 overall pick whenever he chose to declare for the draft (which was very possibly 2018).
The talent is undeniable. He can score anywhere. Just like any young player, of course, his game has warts. But with time, he’ll improve in all facets, especially his defense considering his size and athleticism.
Oh, and health willing, too. The problem was that he hurt his back in his first game with Missouri. Expected to miss the rest of the NCAA season, he did play in two more games (including one in the NCAA tournament). Despite being a huge injury risk, he declared for the draft.
He fell all the way to #14 with the Nuggets in that 2018 Draft. And they knew he had to have another back surgery to get fixed so he sat out his supposed-to-be rookie season.
The flashes showed when he played his first game in Halloween. He scored 15 points in their loss against the Pelicans. It didn’t mean a permanent spot in the rotation, though, as he got a few DNPs along the way.
As time went on, he did get some run, little by little. He hasn’t missed a game since December 10. And then when he got the start on Sunday, December 29, he went for 19 points against the Kings in a win. It was salivation, to say the least.
Then in a victory against Indiana, he scored a career-high 25 points as he only missed one of 12 shots.
Uh-oh.
If he continues to develop, he can be another huge scoring option for the Nuggets. Although they’ve been getting a ton of buckets as of late, they can always have another player create their own shot if they get stuck in the mud. And Porter has always been about the buckets. He can get to the rim, shoot the jumper (even the stepback kind!), and score just about anywhere. Again, he’s still a young player and he didn’t get much run in the last two years but he is a frightening prospect.
Coach Mike Malone still may not give MPJ heavy minutes the rest of the season. But he knows that he can break the glass and use Porter in case of emergency. And that’s a nice weapon to have on the reserve.
Bullet Passes
Miami Heat 84, Toronto Raptors 76. The epitome of 90s NBA. One day, I’ll have a huge talk about debunking the “90s NBA had better basketball” myth. It really wasn’t. Because all we saw was NBA On NBC. Try watching the 90s Clippers.
I don’t know about you but I’ve noticed that Dorian Finney-Smith has had his share of rebound dunks this season. Or maybe he’s always done it throughout his career but it’s so noticeable for me this year. Season. Not year; the year is only three days old.
Good for the Kings to come back from 20 down to win against Memphis. And yes, it is an important game despite their records because, gosh, let me remind you how bad the chase for the 8th seed is. The #8 Spurs (who lost against the Thunder) are only two games ahead of both the Kings and Grizz.
Luka, Luka, Luka.
The Scoreboard
CHA 109 (14-23) @ CLE 106 (10-24)
DEN 124 (24-10) @ IND 116 (22-13)
TOR 76 (23-12) @ MIA 84 (25-9)
UTA 102 (22-12) @ CHI 98 (13-22)
GS 84 (9-27) @ MIN 99 (13-21)
BRK 111 (16-17) @ DAL 123 (22-12)
OKC 109 (19-15) @ SA 103 (14-19)
MEM 123 (13-22) @ SAC 128 (13-22)
DET 112 (12-23) @ LAC 126 (25-11)
Watch This Play
Omari Spellman rang Jordan’s Bell.
(VIDEO CREDIT: Bleacher Report.)
There went Jordan Bell’s soul.
Rey-Rey is on Twitter at @TheNoLookPass.
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