With the Denver Nuggets looking for a spark, head coach Mike Malone called upon Michael Porter Jr. recently and it could become a regular occurrence moving forward.
Prior to winning on Thursday night, the Nuggets had lost three consecutive games and are still only 2-5 over their last seven games. So, something was needed to get back on track and Malone decided to turn to the 14th overall pick from the 2018 NBA Draft.
Porter has played sparingly this season, often only at the end of games in mop-up duty. That changed on Tuesday against the Philadelphia 76ers when Porter checked into the game midway through the first quarter. He logged 14 minutes in total, recording six points and six rebounds in the loss.
On Thursday, Porter once again saw action early in the first half after entering the game in the second quarter. He drained two 3-pointers in the period and helped the Nuggets maintain a sizable lead over the Portland Trail Blazers.
So, so smooth 😎#MileHighBasketball pic.twitter.com/FBqrmFanU2
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) December 13, 2019
Afterward, Malone hinted that Porter could continue to see early minutes.
The more he plays — and I’m going to continue to play him — and the more he gets those first and second quarter minutes where it’s not just the end of the game. … The game is going to slow down for him.
The performance by Porter over his past two games won’t earn him significant nationwide recognition but it could be the start of a solid foundation for the rest of the season. After sitting out all of last season, the Nuggets have been cautious with Porter but it appears as though they are ready to let him go.
Porter has been a highly-touted player through his young basketball career and the Nuggets could see their gamble to draft him in the lottery soon pay off.
Next up for Denver: A home matchup vs. the Thunder.
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