Nets Forward Michael Porter Jr. Showcasing Improved Playmaking, Decision-Making

Michael Porter Jr. has developed into a solid scorer throughout his time in the league but was never quite known for his playmaking skills. In fact, one of his nicknames became “Never Swing the Rock.”

However, Porter Jr. has shed that nickname in recent games, dishing out a career-high seven assists in back-to-back contests. As a result, the Brooklyn Nets nearly defeated a playoff team in the Orlando Magic and blew the doors off the Washington Wizards. Both games were on the road.

Porter Jr. has gotten more opportunities to operate with the ball in his hands since coming over to Brooklyn in a trade with the Denver Nuggets, as he no longer needs to compete for touches with Nikola Jokic.

In turn, opposing defenses center a significant amount of their game plan on trying to stop Porter Jr. from getting hot. He's developed a nice synergy with Nets center Nic Claxton, especially on the pick-and-roll, which creates easy opportunities inside or around the perimeter.

“He has a plan for him to get better and to show things that he hasn’t done before,” Nets coach Jordi Fernández said. “And right now for him to buy into finishing his cuts, not dancing, not overdribbling, putting pressure on the rim, everybody benefits from it. “And guess what? Usually when he does it, he’s the one benefiting from it. So we want him and need him to play like this, because that’s just contagious and good for the group. So, very proud of him.”

Porter Jr. still finds ways to be effective off the ball as well, trusting Brooklyn's big men to find him near the basket for easy looks.

“When I was in Denver, everyone assumed that I was just getting some of those cuts because of Nikola [Jokic] and his vision. But I’ve always been a cutter, a guy that likes to find easy buckets, use my size around the basket,” Porter said. “So coming over here, it’s something that I have been intentional about. Claxton and Day’Ron [Sharpe] can really pass the ball and they found me for a lot of easy points around the rim. So I got to keep doing that.”

Amid a disappointing start to the season for the Nets, it's encouraging to see their biggest offseason acquisition improving his all-around game. At this rate, Porter Jr. could either see his trade value increase or play his way into the Nets' long-term plans.