Could Michael Porter Jr. actually return this season?

Michael Porter Jr.’s college career was thought to be over before it really started, but a noted medical opinion has come with optimism.

Leading up to his first game at Missouri, Michael Porter Jr. was easily assumed to be a one-and-done as a likely top-five pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. But he only lasted just two minutes into the season opener against Iowa State, before a back injury took him off the floor with surgery to follow and a reported three-to-fourth month recovery timetable. So before it even really started, Porter’s season and probably his college career were expected to be over.

But Dr. Rick Lehman, who has treated Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan as well as having served as team physician for a few NFL and NHL teams, was far more optimistic about Porter during an appearance on 590 AM in St. Louis this week.

“I think he’ll be back in the next four weeks, and that’s more than just a guess,” he said.

In a phone conversation with the Missourian, Lehman elaborated on his opinion regarding Porter’s recovery timetable.

"Most single-level decompression (back surgeries) take six to eight weeks to recover,” Lehman said. “The thought that he’d miss the whole season — in my opinion — is probably not realistic. Everyone is going to cheat on the long side a little bit and say it’s going to take a little longer just in case things do.My belief is that he’ll be back six to eight weeks from the time of surgery pretty comfortably."

Porter underwent a microdiscectomy of the L3 and L4 spinal discs on Nov. 21. So a newly optimistic 6-to-8 week recovery time would put his return sometime in January. For what it’s worth, Porter pointed to a return in less than three or four months less than a week after his surgery.

https://twitter.com/BarstoolMizzou/status/934904346579529728

The conservative recovery timetable for Porter initially released by Missouri is not surprising, due in part to the fickle nature of back injuries, and it accounts for potential setbacks in his recovery. Outside voices would be clamoring for him to play as soon as possible otherwise, especially with the Tigers current sitting solidly right now at 8-2 with just three non-conference games left.

A potential return for Porter is still a few weeks away, at least. All parties involved will surely weigh the risk of re-injuring himself by coming back too quickly, and the subsequent impact on his draft status next June.

Next: 5 must-watch college basketball games this week

Missouri basketball fans can be a little more optimistic about seeing Porter play again this season, at least before a potential NCAA Tournament run. But any real expectations he will suit up in January will probably be met with disappointment.