'Showtime' at the Ball: Michael Porter Jr. is seizing the moment

The typically cozy mid-range, where Michael Porter Jr. has been one of the more efficient shooters in the NBA this season, wasn’t kind to the forward in the second quarter Saturday. Porter had clanged two straight jumpers on consecutive Nuggets possessions from a mid-range zone where he’s shooting 49% from this season, which is good for the 84th percentile among all forwards.

Despite the two misses, Porter’s confidence didn’t wane. On Denver’s next trip down the floor, Porter caught a pitch off a dribble hand-off from Nikola Jokic at the elbow, took one dribble to get the foul-line, rose up and knocked down the same shot that he just missed twice in a row. Michael Malone rose from his seat on the Nuggets’ bench and applauded the make.

The key difference between Porter’s first two mid-range attempts and his third: his balance. Malone relayed that message to Porter during the Nuggets’ next timeout.

“You should never rush,” Malone told him. “If you don’t have it pass and cut. But when you’re on balance and you take your time, you’re a deadly shooter.”

Back on balance, Malone called an ATO designed to get Porter an open three from the wing later in the quarter. As Porter curled around a Jokic screen with no Rockets defender in sight, he paused, squared his body, and cashed wide-open three. He got another standing ovation from Malone.

Porter’s second quarter vs. Houston was both a learning experience and a telling sign of his expanded role within the Nuggets’ offense with Jamal Murray lost for the season. There’s no time for Porter to hesitate on offense even if he’s missed multiple shots in a row. There’s no room for any second-guessing. He simply has to be locked in at all times. Porter can’t let his fundamentals go by the wayside and nonchalantly fade away on wide-open jumpers. He has to stay laser-focused. He’s now that important and that integral to the Nuggets’ attack.

“If he misses shots, we need him to keep shooting,” Malone said. “One, he’s a great shooter, and he’s a primary scorer for us with all the injuries that we have. As long as he’s generating good looks, we want Michael shooting the ball at a high volume.”

My main takeaway from Porter’s play since Murray tore his ACL two weeks ago is that he seems ready for the moment. Porter has always been stoic on the floor, but he looks indestructible as of late. His demeanor rarely changes now, even when he’s building towards a career-high 39-point night like he was Saturday.

In media sessions, Porter has noticeably changed his tone from earlier this season too. He’s more careful with his words. The sometimes cocky and brash 22-year-old doesn’t spend too much energy these days talking about his individual performances. After his career-high Saturday, Porter got reflective and said it was one of those times where he needed to take a step back and a deep breath and “appreciate the moment” before turning his attention to the next opponent. Overall, Porter’s public commentary tends to be totally team-focused.

When I asked Porter Saturday night if he’s at all excited to test himself and his abilities in an expanded offensive role without Murray, he instead pivoted and discussed a desire to fill a now somewhat vacant leadership position.

“When he went down, my mentality had to switch to more of a leadership role on the team,” Porter said. “I’m still learning that and trying to do that every night. I’ve done a poor job sometimes and a better job other nights. Being a consistent leader with my energy and what I bring to the table, my consistency. I think that’s something that I have to be consistent with going forward. Because Jamal, he was such an emotional leader for us. I guess you would say I’m excited to do that.”

In six games without Murray, Porter’s averaging 24.8 points on 58.2% shooting from the field and 54.9% from three-point range. He’s a team-best +65 and Denver is averaging 24.9 points per 100 possession more over the last six games when Porter is on the floor compared to when he’s off.

Porter’s teammates agree. He has raised his game and is ready to take center stage over the remainder of the regular season and into the playoffs.

“You’re talking about ‘Showtime.’ We call him ‘Showtime,'” PJ Dozier said. “He’s definitely ready. He’s got the utmost confidence in himself. He believes in himself first and foremost. For him to be the caliber player that we need him to be, we need him to have confidence in himself. Our team has confidence in him.”

Porter’s nickname ‘Showtime’ was hatched by Nuggets nickname czar Monte Morris last season, and it’s perfect. Porter is must-see TV. He’s appointment viewing. There’s a level of excitement and anticipation that comes over you when watching Porter that’s only felt when observing a handful of other players. Jokic and Murray are two of them.

When the lights turn on and he steps on the court, you’re drawn to Porter because he looks and plays like a star. He carries himself like one too. Porter’s already one of the most efficient scorers in the NBA and has a floor game that’s very star-like. His jumper is exquisite and unblockable. He can score from anywhere at any time.

Porter is shooting 44.3% from three-point range this season. Of the 58 players averaging at least six three-point attempts, Porter has the second-best three-point shooting percentage behind Joe Harris. Porter’s shooting a silly 47.6% on catch-and-shoot threes and 48.3% overall from deep when he’s “open” or “wide open” and his closest defender is at least four feet away, per NBA.com.

He’s also one of the best in the NBA when guarded. When Porter’s tightly guarded and his closest defender is 2-4 feet away, he’s knocking in 35.5% of his triples, the seventh-highest mark in the league.

“Even when it’s a contested three, we all still believe that it’s going in no matter what,” Dozier said. “He’s going to have to get them up for us. He knows that. We want him to continue to take good shots within the offense, but at the same time, we know Mike. We know what he’s capable of. And we know he’s a scorer. That’s what he’s going to have to do for us.”

Porter averaged 6.6 three-point attempts per game over his first 44 games of the season. Across his last six outings without Murray, Porter has upped his three-point tries to 8.7 per contest. Porter has had an even greener light in his last two outings. He went 7-14 from distance against the Warriors and 8-12 from beyond the arc two nights ago vs. the Rockets. That sounds about right for a shooter of Porter’s caliber on a Nuggets roster with no Murray, Will Barton or Monte Morris. He should be taking 10+ threes per game throughout the rest of the season. Maybe more if they’re coming within the flow of Denver’s offense.

It’s because the Nuggets need Porter to ascend to another level if they want to make a significant playoff run while down this many offensive threats. It’s the ultimate test for a player who’s only played in 124 total NBA games and another challenge for Porter early on in his career. After expertly adapting his offensive game to fit perfectly around Jokic and Murray, Porter now must pivot to becoming a lead offensive option again.

You have confidence that he can rise to the occasion because Porter has been here before. He was a primary offensive option at every stop throughout his basketball career prior to arriving in Denver. Porter is used to the pressure and the attention. He’s built for it. Porter is now atop opposing defense’s scouting reports instead of on the second or third line behind Jokic and Murray.

How he responds will be fascinating. I can’t wait to see it. Because over the next month, another star could be born.

“I think he’s ready. He’s ready for it,” said Dozier. “He’s going to continue to grow. I’ve been seeing it night in and night out. The progression of his game has been tremendous. And we’re going to need him to continue to grow for us to be a great team.”