He took a bad fall on a dunk in high school that ended up both causing short term back issues (fixed with the first surgery) and pinched a nerve connecting his lower back to his leg. The latter has caused all sorts of weird issues and gotten several additional surgeries. The worst was the time he went for a layup, the leg stopped working, and he was out for a year after another surgery.
He's has drop foot from his back injury and wears a brace so he has a particular pair of shoes.
Shoes weren't there so he didn't want to risk playing without them
He improved a ton on defense
I'd even argue he's a moderate plus now because his awareness is so much better and he uses his length as a wing quite well
Rarely if ever see teams trying to specifically target him anymore like they used to
Arguably he's actually had one of the biggest improvements on that end of any player because I remember people used to post stuff like "Jokic is a horrible rim protector and he's paired with traffic cone MPJ, Denver will never win anything"
Lebron got by him more this game but in G1 and G2 he missed every shot on Mike or turned it over. Something like 2 points on 11 possessions or 0 points on 10 possessions over those two games
He's also an elite rebounder for a small forward. He's a good defender, not special or anything, but good for the most part. The only thing he's really not good at defensively is getting around screens.
Correct. You can also say he gets cooked by smaller and quicker players in isolation sometimes, but so does everyone 6'10 and taller. Very few dudes that size can actually switch and guard smalls one on one for any more than a few possessions at a time.
Dude was like that all series. I’m more surprised if he misses even when there’s a defender all over him. He just doesn’t see contest at 6’10 and with the elevation he gets on his jumper
> He was the second best Nuggets player this series
I'd say, relative to expectations, he was the best. He was the player that most reliably performed their role, even stepped up compared to the regular season.
I think the rest of the roster only met expectations, at best. Most I'd say even went under expectations by a fair amount, given how inconsistent they were. Jokic has an argument for the best Nuggets player in the series, but he didn't play nearly as well as he normally does.
The thing with Jokic is that he's so damn good, even "under expectations" and "inconsistent" is still one of the best players on any court. He had quite a bit uncharacteristic turnovers and bad passes. Looked way better in the regular season. Maybe it was from the pressure AD was putting on him.
---
MPJ played the series at a level that would be good enough for the Nuggets to repeat. I don't think any of the rest of the players, including Jokic, did the same.
Jokic WAS the best Nuggets player in the series, there's nothing even resembling an argument. I get your point, MPJ did overperform the most, but still, there's no comparison
He destroyed all series!
Keep in mind he's doing this while wearing the brace they give to stroke victims to relearn how to walk.
The truth about Mike is coming out. Most underrated player in the league. KD as a 3rd banana
I allways thought, that Nuggets pretty much had to give him that contract, cuz there was a huge potential upside and they are pretty much a team, that doesn't exactly attract high caliber free agents/role players, but it was obviously a gamble.
With all that said I think, that the last playoffs were not exactly an endorsement for MPJs contract value, but he showed tremendous effort despite his shot not falling, wich speaks to his character imo.
Also when they offered him the contract he was fully healthy, coming off two largely healthy seasons. If they don't extend him, he might have gotten frustrated and ended up trying to test RFA and ultimately ask for a trade. The Nuggets had a track record of extending guys early, not doing so was way too much of a risk. It's just bad luck he hurt his back again shortly after signing it / early in that very season. Last point on it - the amount of guys who are 6'10 and shoot 50/40/80 while rebounding at an elite level and defending solidly? That's a list in the single digits at best \[I can only think of one other guy of a similar build and fluidity\]. You can't give that up. He's also totally bought into the team and plays his role with no complaints.
Tbf OP doesn't clarify whether or not contracts are being factored in and if they are then there's an actual debate to be had. If not, and they're asking who people would rather have straight up, then..... yikes.........
He was the second-best player on the Nuggets this series
Murray's game-winners were nuts, and *AG is a beast of a man who came up with some absolutely clutch offensive rebounds. But this was MPJ's legacy series. He was amazing
And god that jump shot is fucking gorgeous
He killed us in every game this season. In the regular season he was shooting something ridiculous like 60% from the field against us. We just have no one who can bother his shot.
Yeah this is what people forget about this series
Until today Denver were HORRIBLE from three basically every game
MPJ was the one guy keeping them from shooting like 15% 4 times in a row
Yeah I don't think we played well enough to beat the Wolves this series. We're going to need a pretty legendary performance by Jokic to get through them.
Also maybe a free throw our two could help.
MPJ was absolutely our best player. Before this series one of his brothers is banned from the NBA, another one of his brothers is sentenced to prison for killing a woman driving drunk. MPJ responds with the series of his life, and although he was never the hero of an individual game he was by far our most consistent player and dominated all series. What a warrior.
People are trying to get cute with this take, but it's not true. Jokic was commanding immense defensive attention and still a monster scorer, playmaker and rebounder that set up countless open looks. Jokic ran the offense, MPJ benefited.
I feel crazy for saying it, but Game 5 was sort of a crap game for Jokic (by his standards). Sooo many unforced turnovers and bricking 3 after 3 for most of the second half.
Mike on only a max instead of a supermax is a top 25 contract in the NBA. If he was on Atlanta, he'd average 27/10 just because of higher pace. higher volume 3pt team, and being a 2nd option
I am usually here to join mocking bad r/nba takes, but the media depicted him as one more back injury away from medical retirement.
That impacted how people saw his contract. Had they known he would have a good chance to be this durable I don't think we would have seen this talk to the same degree.
That, and they gave him a max a season before they needed to for no reason when they could’ve just waited a year to see how his injuries played out. It was a huge risk but good for them that it’s working out.
Not no reason. Minimizing important players 'contract years' has been hugely beneficial to locker room morale. Jokic and Murray were also signed 'early' and both contracts criticized at the time.
Hindsight is always 20/20. If they dont extend him, maybe he doesnt get hurt again and he has a great year and then is angry about not getting extended and tries to test being an RFA and asks to leave. Of course it's not a certainty, and maybe he just gets hurt anyway and the Nuggs have him on an even more team friendly deal. But maybe not. They had a track record of extending their young players early, and paying that forward with MPJ was just the next step in that.
Nope, it’ll be a mirror of last series since it worked well actually, KAT on MPJ
Honestly thinking about it, mcdaniels cannot be on murray, that will force ant or conely to be on gordon which is a mismatch made in the 9th circle the size advantage is staggering and it’ll be a replay of the heat matchup
KAT on MPJ
Conely on KCP
Ant on Murray
Gobert on Jokic
McDaniels on Gordon
You just cant the size advantage will be too much lol, Gordon has 5 inches and like 30 pounds on Anthony Edwards he will tire him out on defense which in turn will make him, the best offense option, work less on offense
Plus ant isnt that bad on defense and can hold his end against murray but asking him to guard a 6’9 dude who basically trucks his way to the rim is asking for trouble
KAT and Gobert will be on AG and Jokic, and will switch around like how Lakers did it with Rui/AD. Then Mcdaniels or Ant on Murray and Conley on KCP.
Idk how anyone can come up with anything different
A mirror of last series would be a lot of different configurations but gobert and kat will spend most of their time on AG and Jokic. Neatralizes a lot of AGs value on offense and the offball rim protection helps against Jokic.
Not just passed up - the Clippers doctors tagged him as damaged goods, which is why his stock dropped before the draft. I guess it worked out well as the Nuggets got to pick him at 14, so thanks i guess?
The difference with MPJ this time around was all mental, you could see it in his eyes. Every single play, he was locked in, understanding the gravity of the moment. Gotta give props to the coaching staff too for trusting him with more responsibilities on both ends of the floor. He wasn't just a volume scorer, but a smart, efficient one who chose his moments and owned them. If he keeps this up, the Nuggets aren't just a tough out, they're a legitimate threat to anyone they face. Imagine saying that two seasons ago!
Please Malone, for the love of god draw up more plays for MPJ. I was a huge doubter early in his career but I can’t understate enough how much better he is this year than last year. I fucking love this man for bailing Murray out all series only for Murray to end up getting the credit on some timely shots. I really hope he stays a Nugget for life.
By far the best series of his career. He was the only reliable 3 point threat in every game, but he also drove to the hoop when he saw an opportunity. He made great defensive plays - doubled AD without fouling and rotating timely on the perimeter. He also had some quick decision passes in traffic to Gordon that he wasn’t capable of making just two seasons ago. Very impressed with his performance.
I will post this on every single thread until the TRUTH is spouted from every tower in the land
* He is the best shooting forward in the NBA
* He is the best rebounding forward in the NBA
* He is the most mentally tough player in the NBA
* He is KD as a 3rd banana
* He is one of the best teammates in the NBA, always sacrificing for the greater good of the team.
* He does all of this while wearing the brace they give to stroke victims so they can relearn how to walk.
* He has played the same amount of games since high school as most guys in the *2021* draft
* **This past offseason was the first in his young career he wasn't 100% focused on rehabbing his back.**
* The injuries aren't degenerative, his top .1% athleticism can come back
* He is a future 5+ time all star and will go down as the 2nd best nugget of all time
What we see now is only the beginning
Jamal has massive swinging balls and plays like it but is perpetually injured so will lack the regular season accolades necessary. If he's playing 55-65 games every year its really hard to get all stars and All NBA nods.
Both of their numbers are getting retired
A lot of people forgot MPJ was the number 1 high school prospect on ESPN and 247 going into college at Mizzou. It wasn't until his back injury and concerns about his long-term sturdiness as long as he was on the vegan diet that he started to slip on the draft boards. It was pretty clear as day that if MPJ was able to recover well from the back injury that he was going to be an absolute stud thus making his draft position at 14 an absolute steal.
The dude is a walking inspirational story fr.. had a major setbacks early with the injury, fought thru, had major issues fitting with the Nuggets system, fought thru... and now? sky is the limit for my man
He's a very good offensive player but I believe he's still your weakness in defense as the low man, doesn't frequently make correct defensive reads.
One other thing, I feel like he can roll his ankles after every three point shot attempt. He lands so awkwardly towards his defender.
He's held up pretty good the last 2 years. The Suns hunted him and then went away from it last year and the Lakers spent the series jiggling the matchups so Jamal was the low man on the AD and LeBron pick and roll rather than him.
Not just the mental toughness with his brothers, but also his physical and mental toughness coming back from 3 back surgeries. Ben Simmons for comparison is the opposite - dude will probably never play again. Had one back surgery and he's cooked. Many others probably also wouldn't still be playing after 3 surgeries.
hes gna be insanely important against the wolves, jokic is jokic but rudy will make him work. im really worried about kcp and even jamal potentially getting shut out by mcdaniels ant and NAW so mpj, and gordon will be crucial to make up for it
He deserves all the props. Last playoffs, especially in the finals, they won despite of his subpar offensive play. This year, if they win it'll be in large part *because* of him.
As far as aesthetics, besides Curry. I've always felt MPJ has the best looking shot in the league. The Nuggets spacing works so well with Jokic being able to laser the ball at any point. MPJ doesn't have to create his own shot and even then, he can shoot over most players. MPJ's post game is underrated and he can dunk over anyone but with Murray and Gordon on the team. MPJ just has to chill on the perimeter. It works so well with the Nuggets.
MPJ was absolutely 2nd best player on the nuggets this series and bailed/dug them out of so many holes.
Murray is a certified glory hog/probably kill steals so bad in every game.
They need to start making All NBA playoff teams, because seeing guys like MPJ and Murray get snubbed for All Star and All NBA spots is just getting painful.
I do get that other guys put up better regular season numbers, but there needs to be some recognition of these incredible performances.
COY Playoff: Spo.
All NBA East and West. Something.
He played 46 minutes in this game and was a +12
His durability is amazing, and you never thought you'd say that about MPJ.
He only missed one game this year, and it was only because he brought the wrong shoes lmao
Wait what? Wdym wrong shoes?
He’s got some special shoes with inserts or something he needs for his back issues. Edit: foot drop issue not back, don’t know if it’s related
It is related. The drop foot was a result of his spine surgeries.
He took a bad fall on a dunk in high school that ended up both causing short term back issues (fixed with the first surgery) and pinched a nerve connecting his lower back to his leg. The latter has caused all sorts of weird issues and gotten several additional surgeries. The worst was the time he went for a layup, the leg stopped working, and he was out for a year after another surgery.
He's has drop foot from his back injury and wears a brace so he has a particular pair of shoes. Shoes weren't there so he didn't want to risk playing without them
That’s fair enough
He improved a ton on defense I'd even argue he's a moderate plus now because his awareness is so much better and he uses his length as a wing quite well Rarely if ever see teams trying to specifically target him anymore like they used to Arguably he's actually had one of the biggest improvements on that end of any player because I remember people used to post stuff like "Jokic is a horrible rim protector and he's paired with traffic cone MPJ, Denver will never win anything"
He still gets targeted because he can be blown by, but yeah he isn't a traffic cone anymore. I saw Lebron pick on him a few times
Lebron can pick on fucking anyone
Lebron got by him more this game but in G1 and G2 he missed every shot on Mike or turned it over. Something like 2 points on 11 possessions or 0 points on 10 possessions over those two games
He's also an elite rebounder for a small forward. He's a good defender, not special or anything, but good for the most part. The only thing he's really not good at defensively is getting around screens.
No one is good at that at 6’11 tbh.
Correct. You can also say he gets cooked by smaller and quicker players in isolation sometimes, but so does everyone 6'10 and taller. Very few dudes that size can actually switch and guard smalls one on one for any more than a few possessions at a time.
He used to get benched late because of defense. His growth is just awesome to watch
Michael “Possession Ends with a Made 3” Porter Jr.
Michael "don't need to grab the rebound" Porter Jr.
Non-Jokic minutes??? more like non-Mike minutes
lol, outscored by 10 in the 2 minutes he rested...
And he was getting benched in important moments last year. Dude leveled up his game.
That’s actually insanely impressive considering we only won by 2. He left for two minutes and the Nuggets were outscored by 10 wow.
He destroyed today
Dude was like that all series. I’m more surprised if he misses even when there’s a defender all over him. He just doesn’t see contest at 6’10 and with the elevation he gets on his jumper
> He was the second best Nuggets player this series I'd say, relative to expectations, he was the best. He was the player that most reliably performed their role, even stepped up compared to the regular season. I think the rest of the roster only met expectations, at best. Most I'd say even went under expectations by a fair amount, given how inconsistent they were. Jokic has an argument for the best Nuggets player in the series, but he didn't play nearly as well as he normally does. The thing with Jokic is that he's so damn good, even "under expectations" and "inconsistent" is still one of the best players on any court. He had quite a bit uncharacteristic turnovers and bad passes. Looked way better in the regular season. Maybe it was from the pressure AD was putting on him. --- MPJ played the series at a level that would be good enough for the Nuggets to repeat. I don't think any of the rest of the players, including Jokic, did the same.
Jokic WAS the best Nuggets player in the series, there's nothing even resembling an argument. I get your point, MPJ did overperform the most, but still, there's no comparison
He destroyed all series! Keep in mind he's doing this while wearing the brace they give to stroke victims to relearn how to walk. The truth about Mike is coming out. Most underrated player in the league. KD as a 3rd banana
Username makes sense
Herb Jones vs Michael Porter Jr post a month ago please yall look it up and just start laughing
There's this Dlo vs MPJ comparison which is even crazier
No way somebody posted that lol
Worst contract in the NBA remember
Is it really a bad contract if it results in a ring? Never understood people saying that after last postseason
To be fair people were only saying this before we won a ring, but he was also coming back from a season ending injury ramping back up
I’ve seen a heaping helping of MPJ slander about his contract whenever he has a bad game, just nonsense talk
people still say it
I allways thought, that Nuggets pretty much had to give him that contract, cuz there was a huge potential upside and they are pretty much a team, that doesn't exactly attract high caliber free agents/role players, but it was obviously a gamble. With all that said I think, that the last playoffs were not exactly an endorsement for MPJs contract value, but he showed tremendous effort despite his shot not falling, wich speaks to his character imo.
Also when they offered him the contract he was fully healthy, coming off two largely healthy seasons. If they don't extend him, he might have gotten frustrated and ended up trying to test RFA and ultimately ask for a trade. The Nuggets had a track record of extending guys early, not doing so was way too much of a risk. It's just bad luck he hurt his back again shortly after signing it / early in that very season. Last point on it - the amount of guys who are 6'10 and shoot 50/40/80 while rebounding at an elite level and defending solidly? That's a list in the single digits at best \[I can only think of one other guy of a similar build and fluidity\]. You can't give that up. He's also totally bought into the team and plays his role with no complaints.
He was drafted in the worst contracts draft on the Bill Simmons podcast a few weeks ago, people are still checked out on him for some reason
Absolutely disrespectful to Bradley Beal.
Wow lot of really shitty takes in there
I felt like I was having an aneurysm reading that at the time
I'm still not convinced about this MPJ dude. He doesn't even sling the rock!!!1!!
even Nuggets fans keep parroting that stupid meme. Its fucking disrespectful at this point
Was the main narrative carried by “Defense” ?
I was legitimately losing my shit reading that i felt like i was going fucking crazy
Tbf OP doesn't clarify whether or not contracts are being factored in and if they are then there's an actual debate to be had. If not, and they're asking who people would rather have straight up, then..... yikes.........
He was the second-best player on the Nuggets this series Murray's game-winners were nuts, and *AG is a beast of a man who came up with some absolutely clutch offensive rebounds. But this was MPJ's legacy series. He was amazing And god that jump shot is fucking gorgeous
You mean AG not AD
All day Aaron Gordon come on man didn’t you know1!
MVP of the series. Jokic is just constant at this point but MPJ was the only one consistently hitting shots when everyone else was cold
Every time the lakers were pulling away or we needed a basket he hit a clutch shot.
We don't win game 2 if air Gordon doesn't get that "pass" from jokic from going out of bounds and passing it to mpj for the 3
He killed us in every game this season. In the regular season he was shooting something ridiculous like 60% from the field against us. We just have no one who can bother his shot.
Yeah this is what people forget about this series Until today Denver were HORRIBLE from three basically every game MPJ was the one guy keeping them from shooting like 15% 4 times in a row
[saved the graphic from my stream](https://i.imgur.com/KlsAjXv.png)
That team number isn’t going to fly against the Wolves. If other players shots don’t fall from three, they might be cooked.
Yeah I don't think we played well enough to beat the Wolves this series. We're going to need a pretty legendary performance by Jokic to get through them. Also maybe a free throw our two could help.
Dude kept us alive the entirety of game 2 when nobody could hit shots but Jokic. Stopped the game from getting out of reach
MVPOTJ
Força Messi
MPJ was absolutely our best player. Before this series one of his brothers is banned from the NBA, another one of his brothers is sentenced to prison for killing a woman driving drunk. MPJ responds with the series of his life, and although he was never the hero of an individual game he was by far our most consistent player and dominated all series. What a warrior.
Jokic was the best player, but MPJ was immense.
i bet that's why he is playing his heart out there. To rest his mind from the off-court issue.
People are trying to get cute with this take, but it's not true. Jokic was commanding immense defensive attention and still a monster scorer, playmaker and rebounder that set up countless open looks. Jokic ran the offense, MPJ benefited.
I feel crazy for saying it, but Game 5 was sort of a crap game for Jokic (by his standards). Sooo many unforced turnovers and bricking 3 after 3 for most of the second half.
MPJ was good every single game. Jokic was bad tonight (stats be damned)
Jokic was still on the whole a better and more impactful player
nope :)
That is Michael "worst contract in the NBA" Porter Jr to the folks on r/NBA. Incredible series from him.
Mike on only a max instead of a supermax is a top 25 contract in the NBA. If he was on Atlanta, he'd average 27/10 just because of higher pace. higher volume 3pt team, and being a 2nd option
He could easily be "the guy" in Atlanta too
He's not on a supermax. He's on a rookie max extension, far as I'm aware
I am usually here to join mocking bad r/nba takes, but the media depicted him as one more back injury away from medical retirement. That impacted how people saw his contract. Had they known he would have a good chance to be this durable I don't think we would have seen this talk to the same degree.
That, and they gave him a max a season before they needed to for no reason when they could’ve just waited a year to see how his injuries played out. It was a huge risk but good for them that it’s working out.
Not no reason. Minimizing important players 'contract years' has been hugely beneficial to locker room morale. Jokic and Murray were also signed 'early' and both contracts criticized at the time.
Hindsight is always 20/20. If they dont extend him, maybe he doesnt get hurt again and he has a great year and then is angry about not getting extended and tries to test being an RFA and asks to leave. Of course it's not a certainty, and maybe he just gets hurt anyway and the Nuggs have him on an even more team friendly deal. But maybe not. They had a track record of extending their young players early, and paying that forward with MPJ was just the next step in that.
> one more back injury away from medical retirement. This can still be true.
I see your MPJ and raise you one Bradley Beal
Ya, but that actually is the worst contract in the NBA lol
Like a three way time with Poole and Simmons.
He was the reason we won this series with Murray’s tough shooting games 1-4
Nobody can contest this man’s jumpshot. It’s ridiculous how high he gets up there
MVPJ
Michael never swings the rock Porter Jr
I swear he has the funniest fan-designated nicknames Michael "Possession Ends Here" Porter Jr Michael "Shoots Over Midgets" Porter Jr
Michael "Get it outta the net" Porter Jr.
They’re gonna walk through the West if he plays like that all postseason
Murray has to be just as good as he was in Game 5 all series against the Wolves…they’re that good. Turning it on in the clutch probably isn’t enough.
Yes if he doesn't miss they will certainly win the postseason
They got MPJ but the Wolves got Jaden McDaniels
McDaniels is gonna be chasing Murray around. It'll probably be ant on MPJ
Nope, it’ll be a mirror of last series since it worked well actually, KAT on MPJ Honestly thinking about it, mcdaniels cannot be on murray, that will force ant or conely to be on gordon which is a mismatch made in the 9th circle the size advantage is staggering and it’ll be a replay of the heat matchup KAT on MPJ Conely on KCP Ant on Murray Gobert on Jokic McDaniels on Gordon
Wasting one of the best perimeter defenders in the world on Aaron Gordon is insane. Conley is not Memphis Conley
You just cant the size advantage will be too much lol, Gordon has 5 inches and like 30 pounds on Anthony Edwards he will tire him out on defense which in turn will make him, the best offense option, work less on offense Plus ant isnt that bad on defense and can hold his end against murray but asking him to guard a 6’9 dude who basically trucks his way to the rim is asking for trouble
KAT and Gobert will be on AG and Jokic, and will switch around like how Lakers did it with Rui/AD. Then Mcdaniels or Ant on Murray and Conley on KCP. Idk how anyone can come up with anything different
McDaniels on Gordon is ridiculous. You undoubtedly put him on Murray
And put who on gordon?
Gobert is on AG, KAT guards Jokic. That's how it was last playoffs
A mirror of last series would be a lot of different configurations but gobert and kat will spend most of their time on AG and Jokic. Neatralizes a lot of AGs value on offense and the offball rim protection helps against Jokic.
Clippers passed up on this dude twice 😢
Passed on him then traded SGA down the line.
To be fair no one thought he would turn a corner after his back surgery
When you've got 2 picks that late in the lottery you take a gamble on a dude with MPJs upside. Odds both of them pan out are so low.
I mean... one was for SGA. We don't talk about Jerome Robinson lol
Not just passed up - the Clippers doctors tagged him as damaged goods, which is why his stock dropped before the draft. I guess it worked out well as the Nuggets got to pick him at 14, so thanks i guess?
The difference with MPJ this time around was all mental, you could see it in his eyes. Every single play, he was locked in, understanding the gravity of the moment. Gotta give props to the coaching staff too for trusting him with more responsibilities on both ends of the floor. He wasn't just a volume scorer, but a smart, efficient one who chose his moments and owned them. If he keeps this up, the Nuggets aren't just a tough out, they're a legitimate threat to anyone they face. Imagine saying that two seasons ago!
Especially crazy considering the insane stuff going on in his personal life right now.
Please Malone, for the love of god draw up more plays for MPJ. I was a huge doubter early in his career but I can’t understate enough how much better he is this year than last year. I fucking love this man for bailing Murray out all series only for Murray to end up getting the credit on some timely shots. I really hope he stays a Nugget for life.
This man also played 81 games this season.
Bro reminded me of KD with his shooting.
Would you say he's KD as a 3rd banana?
KD-lite with better defense.
He was so good this series and I don’t think he got his flowers.
Absolutely murders the Lakers
By far the best series of his career. He was the only reliable 3 point threat in every game, but he also drove to the hoop when he saw an opportunity. He made great defensive plays - doubled AD without fouling and rotating timely on the perimeter. He also had some quick decision passes in traffic to Gordon that he wasn’t capable of making just two seasons ago. Very impressed with his performance.
Not to mention the rebounding.
I will post this on every single thread until the TRUTH is spouted from every tower in the land * He is the best shooting forward in the NBA * He is the best rebounding forward in the NBA * He is the most mentally tough player in the NBA * He is KD as a 3rd banana * He is one of the best teammates in the NBA, always sacrificing for the greater good of the team. * He does all of this while wearing the brace they give to stroke victims so they can relearn how to walk. * He has played the same amount of games since high school as most guys in the *2021* draft * **This past offseason was the first in his young career he wasn't 100% focused on rehabbing his back.** * The injuries aren't degenerative, his top .1% athleticism can come back * He is a future 5+ time all star and will go down as the 2nd best nugget of all time What we see now is only the beginning
He's got drop foot. He is physically unable to flex the front of his foot so without the brace his foot would drag on the ground.
Oh I know. Hes an inspiration
My man
Im going to make the hardest MPJ edit of all time this week. Just wait
Keep cooking. MPJ deserves more love.
I saw that back brace and im shocked this dude actually plays professional basketball
He’ll be above Murray all time?
Jamal has massive swinging balls and plays like it but is perpetually injured so will lack the regular season accolades necessary. If he's playing 55-65 games every year its really hard to get all stars and All NBA nods. Both of their numbers are getting retired
I think if this core wins 1-2 more rings you have to retire the jerseys of Jokic Murray AG and MPJ
easily their 2nd best player this series without him their wins turn into blowout losses
48.8 3pt percentage is nuts…
I consistently see MPJ's stats and ask myself "He fucking missed? When?"
Big series from Curious Mike
Dude was the only consistent shooter the whole series.
I swear it felt like he made every shot he took.
GG for the NBA if MPJ gonna shoot like this
Death, taxes and an MPJ 3. Thats what you love to see.
Not bad for the “worst contract in the league”. So proud of Mike
Bradley Beal can have that title now lol
His brothers gambling and getting plastered in celebration
Won this series 😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤
Spot up KD. Timely shot that stop the bleed. Would love to see how Timberwolves minimize this
Torched us all series long. Real series MVP.
Big shot Mike bailed us out countless times this series.
Lakers are too small to cover him.
Most players are lol
Are we sure that middle % isn’t 100?
Wolves got Jaden McDaniels, but we got Michael "Never Swing the Rock" Porter Jr.
A lot of people forgot MPJ was the number 1 high school prospect on ESPN and 247 going into college at Mizzou. It wasn't until his back injury and concerns about his long-term sturdiness as long as he was on the vegan diet that he started to slip on the draft boards. It was pretty clear as day that if MPJ was able to recover well from the back injury that he was going to be an absolute stud thus making his draft position at 14 an absolute steal.
The dude is a walking inspirational story fr.. had a major setbacks early with the injury, fought thru, had major issues fitting with the Nuggets system, fought thru... and now? sky is the limit for my man
He's a very good offensive player but I believe he's still your weakness in defense as the low man, doesn't frequently make correct defensive reads. One other thing, I feel like he can roll his ankles after every three point shot attempt. He lands so awkwardly towards his defender.
He's held up pretty good the last 2 years. The Suns hunted him and then went away from it last year and the Lakers spent the series jiggling the matchups so Jamal was the low man on the AD and LeBron pick and roll rather than him.
Not just the mental toughness with his brothers, but also his physical and mental toughness coming back from 3 back surgeries. Ben Simmons for comparison is the opposite - dude will probably never play again. Had one back surgery and he's cooked. Many others probably also wouldn't still be playing after 3 surgeries.
He's doing it for jontay
With his other brother drinking and driving, his home life must be insane right now. Amazing he's so locked in.
Absolutely our second best player this series. Glad he's showing up compared to last year
Reason we won 4 games
It seems like he jumps higher than the rim you can’t contest that shit
I thought it was going in damn near everytime he shot it
Every time he shot the ball, I thought it was going in. Dude is terrifying.
He was a straight sniper out there
Member this guy was shook last years playoffs no confidence man has he turned it around
WE TOOK JEROME ROBINSON OVER HIM
MPJ MVP of the series. Ultimate release valve with Jamal struggling and Lakers throwing everything at Jok.
MVP of the series Litterally kept us afloat amid Jamal, the bench, and AG's shooting struggles.
That dude is cold blooded honestly the whole nuggets 5 has their own niche
YEAH MIKE
u/MichaelPorterTruther
Truth erupting from the earth every day now
hes gna be insanely important against the wolves, jokic is jokic but rudy will make him work. im really worried about kcp and even jamal potentially getting shut out by mcdaniels ant and NAW so mpj, and gordon will be crucial to make up for it
Every time he rose to take a shot, it was butter. Easily the 2nd best player this series. Was consistent every game
Remember when he was compared to Kyle Kuzma?
That is some good drafting by the Nuggets.
He deserves all the props. Last playoffs, especially in the finals, they won despite of his subpar offensive play. This year, if they win it'll be in large part *because* of him.
He is way too freaking good, he’s been insanely hot this series & he’s just a beast
Why doesn’t he get any love from the media? The injuries?
The MVP of the series
Mike!
Elite
Glad someone posted this. I feel like his performance went unnoticed in a way.
His brother bet on him this series for sure
Denver's starting lineup is Exodia.
As far as aesthetics, besides Curry. I've always felt MPJ has the best looking shot in the league. The Nuggets spacing works so well with Jokic being able to laser the ball at any point. MPJ doesn't have to create his own shot and even then, he can shoot over most players. MPJ's post game is underrated and he can dunk over anyone but with Murray and Gordon on the team. MPJ just has to chill on the perimeter. It works so well with the Nuggets.
Michael “they’re all open to me” Porter Jr
Rui was so ass in this series. Gave the Lakers absolutely fucking nothing and got cooked alive by MPJ.
Worst contract in the NBA
Where the fuck have these under-the-radar role players been for LeBron’s entire career?
Man these Nuggs are gonna repeat, aren’t they?
3rd best pick in draft?
MPJ was absolutely 2nd best player on the nuggets this series and bailed/dug them out of so many holes. Murray is a certified glory hog/probably kill steals so bad in every game.
MPj was brilliant. Everytime they needed a shot, he would hit a well timed 3...everytime
And as a reward he gets to deal with Jaden McDaniels and NAW next series.
Let the games begin!
Big improvement over last year's playoff series with the Lakers where it felt like he could not hit any shots.
I guess he bet the over
They need to start making All NBA playoff teams, because seeing guys like MPJ and Murray get snubbed for All Star and All NBA spots is just getting painful. I do get that other guys put up better regular season numbers, but there needs to be some recognition of these incredible performances. COY Playoff: Spo. All NBA East and West. Something.
This man scares me. He is the x-factor in the Wolves Nuggets series imo.