Didn’t expect that? The Nuggets currently have 4 wins and 3 losses, ranking only sixth in the Western Conference. Determined to return to the Western Conference Finals, they fell far short of fans' expectations. Although Murray has not returned yet, the Nuggets' strength is obviously more than that. The biggest disappointment for fans of this team is Michael Porter Jr., whose current season high is only 15 points.
Porter Jr. played 7 games for the Nuggets this season, averaging 31.9 minutes, scoring only 10.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.3 steals. shot 34.5% from the field, 23.3% from the three-point range, and 62.5% from the free throw line. These three shooting rates were all new lows in his career. Everyone doesn't understand: What happened to little Porter?
Nuggets coach Malone said: "Porter is just slow to warm up. As the season progresses, he will find his form. Don't forget that Murray is also a slow to warm up player. I absolutely believe that Porter has the ability to play more High-level game! "Porter is not a defensive player. When he can't make a shot, it's difficult to make any other contribution to the Nuggets.
In the 2020-21 season, Porter Jr. played 61 games in the regular season, averaging 19 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game, shooting 54.2% from the field and 44.5% from three-point range; he played 10 games in the playoffs, averaging 17.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. The shooting percentage was 47.4% and the three-point shooting percentage was 39.7%. Compare his performance of 10+6+2 per game this season...
Porter was the 14th pick in 2018. He was reimbursed due to injury in his rookie season. In the 2019-20 season, Porter played 55 regular games for the Nuggets. game, averaging 16 minutes per game, 9.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 0.8 assists. The three shooting percentages were 51%, 42% and 83% respectively. Although the average data per game is not as good as this season, the efficiency is obviously higher.
He is the third player after Curry and Klay (who has taken at least 100 three-pointers) to shoot over 40% from three-point range in each of the first two seasons of his career. The Nuggets saw Porter's outstanding performance in the past two years and gave him a five-year, $172 million contract this summer, starting from the 2022-23 season and expiring in the summer of 2027.
In the 2026-27 season (the last year of the contract), Porter's salary is as high as $39.27 million, of which only $12 million is guaranteed. If you want the last year of the contract to be fully guaranteed, Porter Jr. needs to meet one of the following conditions from 2022 to 2026:
Porter is only 23 years old, and there is indeed room for improvement. Even if he fails to achieve one of those goals, he can still get $145.3 million over five years. In the past, everyone did not have high demands on Porter because he was still on his rookie contract, but now that Porter has received the maximum salary, the fans' expectations are naturally different.
This season is the last year of Porter's rookie contract, and his salary is US$5.26 million. Some fans even joked: With Porter's current performance, he is not worth 5 million. After all, the season has just begun, give Porter some more time! Are you optimistic about his prospects with the Nuggets?
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