Porter fell into a slump.
The Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat will play Game 3 of the 2023 NBA Finals at the Caseya Center in Miami on the 8th (hereinafter Korean time).안전놀이터
Denver, who entered the NBA from the 1976-1977 season, advanced to the finals for the first time since its founding this season. It is Denver who is determined to resolve the past with the first championship in the club’s history.
If I had to pick the two players who made the biggest contributions to Denver’s run to the Finals, it would be Nicola Jokic and Jamal Murray. Jokic is recording a triple-double with an average of 30.4 points, 12.9 rebounds and 10.1 assists in this playoff, and Murray also scored 27.0 points and is performing well compared to most aces.
In addition to the two, Denver has one more maximum-paying player. That’s forward Michael Porter Jr. Porter signed a five-year, maximum contract with Denver in the fall of 2021 after completing his third season. Many felt the risk was too great, but Denver believed in Porter’s potential.
Last season, the first year after signing his contract, Porter caused a lot of concern as he only appeared in 9 games in the aftermath of a back injury. Porter is a player who already has memories of having undergone major surgery for a bad back condition even before his NBA debut.
Returning from injury this season, Porter played 62 games under management, averaging 17.4 points, 48.4% field goal rate, and 41.4% 3-point success rate, contributing to the team’s first seed. Although his record has declined slightly from before winning his maximum contract, it is difficult to give him a failing grade considering it is his first season after recovering from a major injury.
Since then, Porter, who is digesting the playoff stage, has played 17 games and averaged 14.0 points and 8.2 rebounds. Although there is improvement in defense, which is considered a fatal weakness, considering his annual salary and the potential he has shown before, his presence in offense is quite disappointing.
The shooting ups and downs like a roller coaster are continuing in the playoffs as well.
He is a potter with excellent stats, with an average field goal rate of 50% and 3-point success rate close to 40%, but if you look inside, the sense of field goal varies from game to game. Fans are familiar with Porter’s jumping instinct, to the extent that there is a saying that ‘Denver’s championship depends on the ups and downs of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr.’.
For the final, Porter’s face crashed to the floor. Porter, who had not listened to the outside gun from the first game, suffered sluggishness in the second game, only scoring 5 points even after playing 26 minutes. He threw 17 three-pointers in two games and only made three.
Michael Porter Junior Final
Average 9.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, field goal rate 29.2%, 3-point success rate 17.6%
Porter’s assertiveness and color are strong enough to criticize the coach’s tactics and player selection without hesitation, and his shot selection is unique enough to be counted in the NBA. He doesn’t mind taking tough shots and often tries his shots in situations that no one can predict.
That’s why, on days when Porter feels good at shooting, the phrase ‘How do I even get that shot?’ comes out naturally, but there are often situations in which he completely harms the team’s offense.
Porter was the only player to throw 13.2 field goals per game this season and only 1.0 assists. The focus is on his overall offense and shooting rather than his ability to help his teammates. If an attack with a large proportion of tough shots does not work out well, his contribution will inevitably decrease.
As Porter’s sluggishness continues, there are even opinions that Bruce Brown, who is better at cut-ins and can contribute in defense, should be more important. In fact, Porter’s playing time was noticeably reduced to 26 minutes in the second leg compared to 43 minutes in the first leg.
Denver, who has two difficult away games, may turn the series flow over to Miami if Porter’s sluggishness continues. Anyway, Porter is one of the key options in Denver’s offense. Whether or not he rebounded became an important series key point.