“I knew that we couldn’t have two players who were incapable of defending, and that we couldn’t have two young players who thought of themselves first. Mike (Michael Porter Jr.) makes $30 million. He is one of the best NBA shooters. So, Bones, there is no place for you here.”
Recent comments (which he didn’t think would come out publicly) from Nuggets GM Calvin Booth had raised some eyebrows. Even if MPJ’s defensive weakness is not really a secret…
During the last defeat of the reigning champions, against the Magic, we saw Franz Wagner continually target him in the “money-time”, with success. So much so that Michael Malone ended up replacing his winger with Chistian Braun for the very end of the game.
“At the end of the day, Michael is going to have to defend” explained the coach at the end of this new setback. “Because we see it. This is what the NBA has become. Every match, at the end, they will target a player from the opposing team to attack. I know Michael has improved a lot in defense, but if he can’t stop the opponent, I put Christian Braun on the pitch, because I have to try to prevent that from happening. »
For the coach, it’s up to Michael Porter Jr. to act to remove this target on his back.
“I know Michael is proud. I know he hates it when teams do that to him (that they cause defensive changes to attack him at the end of the match),” concludes Michael Malone. “Now he has to take that emotion and use it, to find a way to not allow teams to do it. »
| Michael Porter, Jr. | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2019-20 | DEN | 55 | 16 | 50.9 | 42.2 | 83.3 | 1.2 | 3.5 | 4.7 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 9.3 |
| 2020-21 | DEN | 61 | 31 | 54.2 | 44.5 | 79.1 | 1.5 | 5.8 | 7.3 | 1.2 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 19.1 |
| 2021-22 | DEN | 9 | 30 | 35.9 | 20.8 | 55.6 | 1.0 | 5.6 | 6.6 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 9.9 |
| 2022-23 | DEN | 62 | 29 | 48.7 | 41.4 | 80.0 | 1.0 | 4.5 | 5.5 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 17.4 |
| 2023-24 | DEN | 15 | 31 | 47.1 | 39.1 | 73.7 | 1.8 | 6.0 | 7.8 | 1.3 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 17.1 |
| Total | 202 | 26 | 50.3 | 41.4 | 79.4 | 1.3 | 4.8 | 6.0 | 1.1 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 15.4 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
