Michael Porter Jr.'s Absence Apparent in Brooklyn Nets' Blowout Loss to Grizzlies

The Brooklyn Nets struggled to get it done on both sides of the floor in their blowout 129-110 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Nov 1, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. (17) is seen against the Indiana Pacers during the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Brooklyn Nets struggled to get it done on both sides of the floor in their blowout 129-110 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.

A big reason for that was because of the absence of Michael Porter Jr., who was ruled out due to personal reasons.

Though Julius Randle tends to eat up most of the seconds of any given Nets possession, some could argue that Porter is Brooklyn's true No. 1 option.

Porter does most of his damage off the ball, however, whether he's manuevering off of ball screens or cutting to the rim. Because of that, he's built a nice rapport with all of the playmaking bigs he's played with throughout his career, including three-time MVP Nikola Jokic.

The Nets simply don't have a point guard ready to handle the burden of being a floor general, so they consistently run their playmakig through their bigs, such as Randle, Day'Ron Sharpe, Danny Wolf and Moe Wagner.

Because of that, Porter's presence adds that much more importance in the lineup, as his knack for hitting difficult shots and moving off the ball effectively well allows the ball to move around with intention.

The Nets just don't have a guard capable of slowing the game down and single-handedly taking over games, and Randle doesn't offer the three-level versatility or consistency of other elite wings/bigs out there.

Mikel Brown Jr. ideally eventually develops into that guard who can be a threat at all three levels, but he's a rookie right now and needs to learn how to adjust to the flow of an NBA game with real-time reps.

His range and ability to get to his spot and get to the rim are apparent, but it takes time to learn how to adjust to different looks opposing defenses give you and work out certain flaws in your game.

Egor Demin also currently profiles best as an offball guard/wing despite drawing consistent starts at point guard, as his best attribute is knocking down the triple off the catch-and-shoot.

The Nets had play-in aspirations to begin the season after bringing Randle into town. While that's still theoretically possible, the Nets are going to need Porter to be in the lineup most nights and for him to be intentional about each of his movements off the ball.

For now, point guard is a glaring hole on the Nets' roster, until and unless Brown develops into that guy.