Damian Lillard criticized Michael Porter Jr. for calling out coaches

Porter was unhappy with the Nuggets’ playcalling in the second half of Game 4 on Wednesday after he had just two shot attempts.

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Denver Nuggets rookie Michael Porter Jr. took exception with the play calling by the coaching staff on Wednesday in the second half of their Game 4 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Porter scored a team-high 15 points in the first half on 5-of-6 shooting from the field as the Nuggets cut an 18-point lead down to just eight points at halftime. However, he went scoreless in the second half after attempting just two shots as the Nuggets lost, 96-85.

Afterward, Porter said more players needed to be involved.

That’s really up the coaches, who they want to put the ball in whose hands. We kept going to [Nikola Jokic] and [Jamal Murray] and I think they are two amazing players, you can never get mad at that, but I just think to beat that team we got to get more players involved. We gotta move the ball a little bit better. We can’t be predictable against that team.

The subtle jab at the coaching staff did not sit well with Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, who criticized Porter on social media for his comments. Lillard said the move was wrong by Porter and briefly elaborated saying that teams don’t work that way.

Porter has played a key role with the Nuggets during the playoffs. He first was in the starting lineup in the Nuggets’ first-round series versus the Utah Jazz but was eventually moved to the bench because head coach Michael Malone likes his energy and playmaking in the second unit.

Despite being a rookie, though, Porter said that since he has played enough minutes during the playoffs that he can have a conversation with the coaching staff and address the playcalling in the second half.

I think if I’m going to be out there on the floor playing a lot of minutes, I think I should voice that. I will probably talk to the coaches and tell them what I see being out there on the floor just letting them know, ‘Look, they know what we are doing. We gotta swing the ball. We gotta lot of players that can play basketball and score, so we gotta get some more guys involved.’

Malone has often allowed the star players on the team, such as Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, to handle the bulk of the scoring duties in key moments while a player like Porter has served as a secondary option. Certainly, Porter didn’t agree with that playcalling and voiced his frustration.

The comments made by Porter likely would have been better suited for a private conversation with the coaching staff, instead of airing it out through the media. Needless to say, the situation will be worth monitoring in Game 5 as the Nuggets face elimination, down 3-1 in the series.

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