It’s amazing to think that Denver Nuggets sharpshooter Michael Porter Jr. is only 25 years old. Really, his journey from high school to here may be totally unique. It’s certainly an anomaly.
Selected 14th overall in the 2018 NBA Draft, Porter was once thought to have a career-ending —or at least career-threatening —back and hip injuries. The Seattle native missed what should have been his rookie season as he recovered from a back surgery. However, he’s played at least 60 games in three of his five seasons.
This has made him a key player for the Nuggets, particularly offensively. In the seasons that he’s played at least 60 games, he’s averaged at least 17 points per game, and shot above 40 percent in each of those seasons.
Michael Porter Jr. Breaks Nuggets’ Franchise Record
It’s no wonder then that Porter has broken the Nuggets’ single-season record for made 3s with 193.
“That’s a testament to my teammates,” Porter said after breaking the record amid a 31-point outing against the New York Knicks. “Playing with great players, it results in a lot of open looks, I just gotta knock ‘em down. That’s all.”
The previous record of 192 was held by former ninth overall pick Dale Ellis.
Ellis, a one-time All-Star, played for several teams throughout his career. His most notable stint was with the Seattle SuperSonics, where he played for six-plus seasons. The performance he had with Denver is a forgotten nugget in hoops history. Towards the end of his tenure, the franchise began its rebuild, prompted by the trade of a guard that was ahead of his time in Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf and star shot-blocker Dikembe Mutombo subsequently leaving for the Atlanta Hawks.
With one of the sweetest shooting strokes in the league, the only obstacles Porter faced were a lack of durability and a one-dimensional skillset. To hurdle the latter, Porter has worked hard to become a better defender. His nose for rebounds has become quite useful, especially with his grab-and-go ability in transition.
Nonetheless, it’s his shooting touch —particularly from beyond the arc —that’s made him who he is. It’s what’s made him such a weapon for the Nuggets and playmaking center Nikola Jokic. The threat of his jumper is so serious that he might be the last player that teams want to leave open. They don’t even have to know he’s shooting 38.6 percent on “open” 3s and 45.6 percent on “wide open” 3s.
Friendly Competition
Porter is also sixth in career 3s in Nuggets’ franchise history with 623. He’ll likely be in the top-five by the end of the season, overtaking Michael Adams (630) for fifth-place. Adams played for Denver for four seasons, starring beside Nuggets legends Alex English and Fat Lever. Similar to Porter, he was overshadowed during one of the most thrilling times in franchise history.
With Jokic (662) in fourth-place, there might be a bit of friendly competition in Denver taking place soon. Then again, they may not see the point with Jamal Murray leading the franchise with 972 career 3s. Porter still has single-season bragging rights, outstripping both Murray’s (172) and Jokic’s (111) career-bests.
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