Michael Porter Jr. Motivated to Get Nets Back to the Playoffs

Michael Porter Jr. admits the circumstances in his first season with the Brooklyn Nets were a little bit of a culture shock.

Mar 10, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. (17) looks to drive past Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) in the first quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Michael Porter Jr. was the rare top prospect who came into the league with immediate expectations to win.

Porter fell to the No. 14 spot on draft night in 2018 because of lingering back issues. Though he missed his entire first season on the Denver Nuggets roster, it still didn't take long for him to display much of the upside attached to his name.

He had several big performances during the 2020 bubble, when the Nuggets got to the Western Conference Finals.

Though Porter later suffered another setback with his back, he was able to get healthy in time again to become a big contributor to the Nuggets' 2023 championship run.

Porter made the postseason each year he was in Denver. He admits the circumstances in his first season with the Brooklyn Nets were a little bit of a culture shock.

"I've been in the playoffs every year that I've been in the NBA, so I think that not making the playoffs, it is tough, but I've been blessed to play that high-level basketball and that meaningful basketball going forward," Porter said. "So I think going forward, helping these young guys understand how to win and want to be in the playoffs, telling them how different it is in the playoffs and giving them that motivation that we don't want to be in this position again. This was a one-year thing, and hopefully by next year we're ready to compete at a high level and be a playoff team. I think that's the goal that everyone has in mind.”

"It was a year of growth, a year of adjustment. I thought there were a lot of pros, a lot of things to take away. I think as a team we grew in a lot of ways. The young guys, seeing them develop throughout the year was amazing. Individually, it was a different role for me and I think that for me, for the first year in that adjustment, I think it was just, like I said, a growth year, development. But a lot of positives, a lot of things to take away from the season.”

The Nets showed glimpses of being a playoff team in December when everyone was healthy and finding their rhythm.

Though the NBA season is longer than a month, perhaps those principles and a stronger roster could help the Nets get back to the postseason next year.