Written by Jonathan Peter on November 1, 2022.
Through seven games, the Denver Nuggets are posting a 39.4 three-point percentage, the fifth best in the NBA. Every Nugget deserves some love for this success, but Michael Porter Jr. should get the lion’s share of the credit.
Porter’s impact on this Nuggets team is quite polarizing. Many are quick to point out his ineffectiveness on defense when he is not focused. The criticism is valid. There are a number of defensive possessions where Porter gets lost and is out of possession, or the opposing team targets him. He can also pick up dumb fouls, which hurts the team in a plethora of ways based off how the game will be managed without him.
Despite his flaws, MPJ is a crucial component for the Nuggets success throughout this season. Currently, he is shooting a ridiculous 48.9% from three, while attempting 7.8 shots from the perimeter, which is the most on the team by 2.5 shots. Porter believes he can even improve on that mark.
The confidence is incredible and it’s great to see a quote like this, considering how much time he missed because of his back surgery. Porter has come back looking like a better version of his past-self. It’s very impressive given that he missed essentially an entire season.
MPJ’s presence has a greater effect that cannot be replicated if he is not playing. Last Wednesday, Denver took on the LA Lakers without Porter, who was resting due to a back spasm. The Nuggets shot an abysmal 26.5% from the perimeter, only knocking down 9 threes that night.
Compare this to Sunday night, when Denver had a rematch with the Lakers, only this time Porter was playing. The Nuggets improved their team three point percent to 37.5. Porter had a poor shooting performance by his standards, only knocking down three of 10 attempts from deep. Still, by just being on the court, Porter attracts defenders to him because of his shooting skills, which results in his teammates getting looks.
Credit to Statmuse.com for the shot chart. The chart displays all of Porter Jr.’s shot attempts through the six games he’s played in. 58% of his shots come from beyond the arc, with the remaining 42% coming from the mid-range and in the paint.
Porter’s impact as a rebounder can’t be understated. He’s been pulling 7.5 boards per game, second best on the team behind Nikola Jokic.
As the season progresses, it would be nice to see Denver running more plays to get MPJ more shots from three. He’s not the best ball-handler, which means it has to be a concerted team effort to get him the ball by generating looks for him. Given his high efficiency, 7.8 attempts from three is too low for Porter, and that should increase in the future.
If Porter can continue to produce on offense at this rate, the Nuggets are destined to be an offensive juggernaut. If he improves on his deficiencies with decision making and defensive, Denver will be the title contender they expect to be.
Stats Tell Stories 