Michael Porter Jr. Seems to be Finding Niche with Nets Despite Trade Speculation

When the Brooklyn Nets landed Michael Porter Jr. from the Denver Nuggets during the offseason, not many fans expected him to stay with the franchise long-term.

While it's still possible he gets moved at the trade deadline, that doesn't seem to be his focus. Instead, he's been putting the ball in the hoop at a rate he's never done before and endearing himself into the hearts of his coaches, teammates, and fans.

"He's a genuine person," Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez said. "Always a smile on his face."

“He makes his teammates’ lives better. He doesn’t play in a selfish way. The shots he creates, one he’s able to make every shot possible, but when he spaces the floor properly, and when he cuts with pace, and he’s constantly moving, and then he rebounds the ball… that’s just very good for everybody else. Him talking to all his teammates and the young guys, that shows maturity and adjusting to a new role. [Having] a smile on his face, all that positive energy is contagious. And I think that he’s been a big part of this team coming together.”

The Nets move the ball around at a high rate, ranking 10th in the league in passes made.

Most of the field goals Porter Jr. has made this season have come off an assist, though the number of unassisted field goals he's converted is already nearly half as many as he made in 77 games last season, when he was benefiting from Nikola Jokic's gravity and elite playmaking.

“I just think the continuity of our offense [is improving]," Porter Jr. said. "Guys are just getting used to playing with each other. It’s leading to some good looks for me. I’m getting a lot of easy looks at the rim, and then from there I’m able to make some jumpers. So I’m trying to focus on playing inside-out. And it’s easy playing with guys like [Nic] Claxton, Day'Ron [Sharpe], [Danny] Wolf, Egor [Demin]. They find me for easy looks.”

The 27-year-old forward is likely too old for a rebuilding team like the Nets to consider him the long-term No. 1 option, especially with the back issues that have plagued his career. However, it's still important to recognize that he's bringing a level of efficient, high-volume shot-making that Nets fans have been dying to see since the franchise parted ways with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.