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Will Nuggets Gunslinger Be Able To Reach Potential?

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General detailed view of the decal on the shorts of Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (for Michael Porter Jr. article)

Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr.’s jumper universally recognized as an elite. In fact, he’s tied for third in franchise history in career three-point percentage (.410). He ranks fifth in franchise history in made threes (697) despite playing just 286 games.

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However, he’s slowly become more than a shooter offensively, growing increasingly comfortable with scoring off the dribble. To that point, Porter recorded over 200 drives for the first time in his career last season. This season, he’s already racked up 65 drives, putting him on pace to finish with 296.

Porter was already making strides as a defender. He’s become more of a playmaker as of late as well. However, there weren’t many who saw him becoming more than a three-point specialist with regard to his scoring ability. So there are now even more questions about what his ceiling is.

Will Nuggets Gunslinger Michael Porter Jr. Be Able To Reach Potential?

In an engaging interview with Bennett Durando of The Denver Post, Porter discussed his drive to be great and whether he can reach his potential after three back surgeries.

“The same drive that propelled me before injuries to be the best in the world is the same drive that now enables me to even be on the court post-surgeries,” Porter says. “I don’t know if my ceiling is quite as high after the injuries and everything, but I think that I have the drive. Like, a one-of-one drive. It’s what propelled me to be the No. 1 (recruit) in the world at one point.

… If I didn’t have that drive, I would not be playing most of the games. I would not probably be playing in the NBA.”

Health Is Wealth

Prior to the back injury he sustained while at Missouri, Porter was a true wing.

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He still ate above the rim, crashing the boards and catching lobs. However, he had more wiggle off-the-dribble than he does these days. In fact, Porter’s gait has often been described as stiff and upright.

After multiple back surgeries, that’s to be expected. Nonetheless, the Seattle native works on “hip mobility and core stability.” He’s also “been healed of chronic back pain,” per USA TODAY reporter Josh Peter. To Porter, the issue with his mobility is the brace he’s been wearing since he came into the league.

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“I’m trying to figure out my brace situation because I’m pretty stuck in certain regards with the brace that I wear,” he tells former The Denver Post reporter Mike Singer. “I feel like if I can get a different brace that lets me move my foot a little more, I’ll be able to move in more directions, be a little bit more creative instead of so like, shoot or straight line drive. That’s what I’m missing now compared to high school is I could move in so many different ways and create something out of nothing.”

In a separate story with Singer, it was revealed that Porter wears the brace because of a complication from his back surgeries. He developed a condition called drop foot, which makes it “difficult to lift the front part of one’s foot, causing it to drag.”

If Porter wants to reach his potential, his health is still his biggest obstacle. However, there’s a chance his drop foot condition eventually improves, especially as his back issues have. If it doesn’t, he’ll have to wait for a cutting-edge advancement in orthotics.

The post Will Nuggets Gunslinger Be Able To Reach Potential? appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.