The Nuggets are in crisis. And not exactly sports, a part of the entity that is suffering. Rather for the reasons, those so bitter, which are leading them to an increasingly complicated situation: injuries. If a few months ago (because it’s only been a few months) It was Jamal Murray who fell into a very deep well, Now it is another of the pillars of the offensive system of the Colorado team that will be a long-term casualty: Michael Porter Jr .. The portent, star of the University, has already had physical problems in the past, but it was when his game was starting to be regular and bright in equal measure when has halted its meritorious progression to face the worst part of the sport.
Sources: Denver forward Michael Porter Jr. is expected to miss the remainder of the season due to back surgery. Tough blow, but with Porter’s five-year extension kicking in next season, he and the Nuggets take big-picture approach to his health.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 29, 2021
The news, advanced almost simultaneously by the two leading NBA journalists, Shams Charania and Adrian Wojnarowski, leaves the Nuggets with an absolutely sour taste in their mouths. The project, which reached the Western Conference finals in the Orlando bubble, in 2020, was on an enviable path, and the acquisition a year after Aaron Gordon, coupled with Porter’s remarkable improvement, heralded a short-term future full of success. That’s what the Nuggets dreamed of last year, even with a ring whose pool of candidates was greater than ever. And goodbye they said to their chances with Murray’s injury, which, in theory, will return between April and May 2022. Some dates in which the team expected to have its entire squad … which in the end has been twisted with Porter’s injury. A new misfortune.
Recall that the potential number 1 of the 2018 draft was relegated to 14th place due to a back injury that kept him in dry dock for a year. His return was thought to change the dynamics of the West And everything pointed to that being the case, but the back problems did not stop. The first year he did not debut, which he did in the bubble. The past he went to 19 points per game and began to show signs of true talent, in addition to exercising a slight improvement in defense, his particular Achilles heel. However, the forward has relapsed again and, after signing a 5-year, $ 207 million (172 plus variable) contract very recently, the Nuggets are in favor of conservatism and not forcing him in a season in which they have few options and in which Porter has only played 9 games.
As explained by Wojnarowski, the return time will be indefinite for Porter after he undergoes lower back surgery. Nevertheless, Everything indicates that it will be highly unlikely that he will return during the 2021-22 NBA basketball season. In addition, PJ Dozier is left indefinitely due to a tear in the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. We’ll see if this translates into more minutes for Facundo Campazzo, who barely exceeds 17 a night and is not counting too much for Mike Malone. What we do know is that Nikola Jokic stays yet more alone. And yes, the brand new NBA MVP, the first Serbian ever to win this award, averages 26.4 points, 13.6 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game. And he touches 60% in shots from the field, scores 41% of the triples he tries and is the total and absolute leader of a loose squad punished by injuries. But the Nuggets are 9-10 and rank 10th in the Western Conference. And Porter’s injury only means one thing: trouble. Plus problems.
