"It's all about energy": Michael Porter Jr. is on a quest for consistency

On Michael Porter Jr.’s quest to find consistency — a required journey for every young NBA player — he has a trusted confidant in Nikola Jokic.

Jokic was once a raw but extremely talented prospect trying to find consistency (and playing time) amidst the Nuggets’ rotation. He began to find it in December of his sophomore season when he scored at least 18 points in 13-straight games. One week later, Jokic exploded for 40 points against the Knicks in Madison Square Garden, the game that put the seven-footer from Serbia on the national radar.

What was the key for Jokic in figuring out how to stay consistent?

“I think it’s routine. Just to know your routine,” Jokic said Wednesday afternoon following the Nuggets’ 132-116 win over the Spurs. “Just to be prepared for the game. Know your matchup. Know who you’re going to guard. Know the plays. Just be mentally ready.”

The secret to cracking the code to consistent play is different for every player and could vary widely for Porter and Jokic. After all, Porter and Jokic couldn’t be more different both as people and players. One has 745,000 followers on Instagram and is a natural born, shoot-first, bucket getter. The other has zero social media accounts and would rather drop an assist to a teammate than put the ball through the basket himself. But man, they’re both superbly talented basketball players.

Porter was sizzling again Wednesday inside the bubble. Forty eight hours after scoring a career-high 37 points to go with 12 rebounds, Porter tallied with 30 points (11-19 FG’s, 5-9 3FG’s) and 15 rebounds against the Spurs. In the win, Porter became the first rookie in NBA history with 30 points, 15 rebounds, and five 3-pointers in a single game. He also became the first rookie to score 65-plus points on at least 65% shooting from the field and grab 25-plus rebounds over a two-game span since Shaquille O’Neal accomplished the same feat in 1993.

Most importantly, he was consistent from one game to the next.

“Great players bring it every night,” a proud Michael Malone said postgame.

Porter can be exactly that, a great, great player. At 6-foot-10 he’s naturally gifted even beyond most NBA players. Porter is shooting 11 of 23 (48%) from 3-point range and 17-25 (68%) on two’s inside the bubble. That two-point percentage likely won’t hold but on more than 100 3-point attempts this season Porter is shooting 42% from beyond the arc. The shot is legit.

Porter’s rebounding is almost as impressive as his scoring. Pre-hiatus, Porter led all small forwards in Rebound Percentage and even after recording only one rebound in the Nuggets’ opener against the Heat, Porter is still averaging 11 rebounds per game in the bubble.

Porter credits his father, Michael Porter Sr., for his rebounding instincts. As the now-22-year-old was rising up the recruiting ranks, Porter Sr. would get on his son if he didn’t crash the offensive glass. Porter Sr. was adamant that because of his son’s height, length and athleticism he’d get 4-6 easy points per game just from offensive rebounds.

Sure enough, Porter was credited with four offensive rebounds Wednesday leading to six points. This was my favorite of the bunch.

“Is it a combination of his length, his timing, him reading the flight of the ball? I think it’s a combination of all of that. He has a unique ability and feel to rebound at a high level. That’s why he’s so valuable to have out there,” Malone said. “He’s not just a one-trick pony. He’s not just a guy that can just make jump shots. He’s going to be a very good defensive player as he continues to get more and more game experience. But the shooting, the scoring, and the ability to rebound are just phenomenal for such a young player who’s still in his rookie season.”

Just over one week ago Porter made his bubble debut in the Nuggets’ last of three scrimmages. He was stellar, finishing with 19 points on a clean 8 of 13 shooting and seven rebounds. That standout performance got me thinking: could Porter slip into the Nuggets’ starting lineup at some point during the playoffs especially if Denver’s offense stalls out?

Since then, two things have happened. First, Will Barton hasn’t been healthy. The Nuggets’ pre-hiatus starting small forward logged just 18 minutes in the Nuggets’ final scrimmage and hasn’t played in any of Denver’s three seeding games. He didn’t look 100% when he was on the court and Michael Malone hasn’t offered a timetable for when he expects Barton to return the lineup. Second, Porter has been lights out over his last two outings.

Now, the question of if Porter could start at some point in the playoffs looks pretty foolish. Even when/if Barton suits up, there’s no way you can remove Porter from the starting five right now.

I don’t know if Barton’s Wednesday night postgame tweet was him relinquishing his starting spot to Porter, but it’s at least a nod of respect and recognition by the Nuggets’ incumbent at small forward that the rookie is the real deal. Barton’s also a heck of a teammate. I think he’d be more than willing to move to the bench if he believed it was the right decision for the team.

“MPJ is special! Ready right now! 6’10 small forward with a ratchet & a handle!” Barton wrote on Twitter. “Stop playing with him! Can’t be on a leash with that type ability! It’s time! Gotta let him be him! Shorty different!”

It certainly feels like Porter’s about to go mainstream if he hasn’t already. He has the game, the pizzazz and star power to turn the Nuggets into everyone’s favorite Western Conference dark horse, which come Thursday they might already be. It’s hard to remember sometimes that Porter has played just 738 NBA minutes.

“There’s so much room for growth,” Malone said. “That’s the scary part.”

The biggest question for Porter in the interim is what happens when his shot isn’t falling. Will Porter be a non-factor like he was against the Heat when he finished with 11 points on 4 of 11 shooting and only one rebound, or will he find other ways to contribute?

How will Porter find ways to be consistent with other parts of his game when he’s not in this same offensive groove?

“I’m not going to shoot the ball amazing every night,” Porter said. “But every night I can get on the glass, I can be active, I can get back on defense.”

“For me, it’s all about energy.”