Denver Nuggets: Michael Porter Jr’s. fit with Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray

There’s little doubt the Denver Nuggets possess a talented trio, but how does Michael Porter Jr.’s skillset mesh with Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray?

With all the hype surrounding Michael Porter Jr., many Denver Nuggets fans have neglected to consider the chemistry-building process, as it’s widely assumed Porter will slide next to Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray in perfect synchrony. In reality, the situation requires time and patience, and fluidity rarely occurs at the drop of a hat.

Porter’s Orlando bubble play was exciting, as it provided surefire signs of dangerous scoring in the future. However, a closer look reveals Porter is an excellent fit next to Jokic…but not necessarily with Jokic and Murray together, as vast differences emerge in Porter’s play once Murray enters the equation.

With Murray injured for the first four bubble games, Porter dominated alongside Jokic, averaging a monster 26.3 points per contest on 57.8 percent shooting. However, once Murray returned, Porter’s average dropped to 16.3 points per contest for his remaining three bubble games. His scoring then plummeted to 11.4 points per game throughout the 19-game postseason, as he found himself frequently frozen out from the Murray-Jokic offense.

Fast-forward to this preseason, and Porter averaged an underwhelming 12.3 points per contest, scoring just seven and 10 points respectively in his two starts alongside Jokic and Murray. These lineups often saw Porter relegated to the corner, as the Jokic-Murray pairing dominated touches, joined by a surprising number of attempts from Gary Harris and Paul Millsap.

Whether the organization admits it or not, it’s fair to question Porter’s usage and fit with this starting unit to date.

What is the perfect fit for Michael Porter Jr. with the Nuggets?

To further complicate matters, Porter scored 20 points in his lone preseason game off the bench, as Will Barton received the starting nod Friday. Porter was notably involved in the second-unit offense, scoring from inside and outside alike, thus presenting an off-the-bench option that will tempt head coach Mike Malone.

This is dangerous thinking, and it’s unnerving to imagine Porter’s starting lineup spot may be in jeopardy, further delaying his development. Although Barton is the more impactful defender and a decent fit with the starters, Porter’s raw talent has the potential to raise the Nuggets to new heights. This occurs to a much greater degree if he starts.

Denver has likely reached a ceiling with the undersized Barton at the 3-spot. To revert back to this lineup is a temporary band-aid over Denver’s need for a larger, sweet-shooting wing in the starting unit.

Starting Porter requires wading through moments of regular season frustration, as integration isn’t easy. However, many great superstar lineups overcame rocky beginnings to adapt to each other’s styles and experience success.

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade struggled to kick off their Miami Heat dynasty, as time was required to learn each other’s style of play. Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry didn’t immediately reach full potential, as offensive balance needed attaining. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray didn’t immediately gel either, and the passing vs. dribbling vs. cutting concepts required compromising.

Just as these lineups progressed, Porter can grow into an effective third star alongside what’s already an established tandem. However, Porter’s integration hinges on the roles of multiple parties, most notably Jokic, Murray, Malone, and Porter himself.

From Jokic and Murray’s perspective, it’s time to trust Porter offensively, as he’ll only grow to the extent Denver’s leading duo allows him to. Porter’s proven himself the deep-ball expert Denver direly needs, knocking down 42.2 percent from 3-point range last season, while shooting 50.9 percent overall.

As Jokic and Murray carried the offense last season, they must facilitate a variety of buckets for Porter, as regular-season scoring will ultimately reap a balanced, playoff-ready offense. To limit Porter is to the duo’s eventual detriment, as Denver could have used a third scorer to aid Jokic and Murray last postseason.

On Porter’s end, he must accept a complementary role, as there’s a pecking order that includes two highly accomplished players. If the duo integrates Porter correctly, many shots will come as catch-and-shoot 3-point attempts — which is how Porter best elevates the Nuggets this season. It’s important Porter capitalizes on these opportunities while venturing into other shots at an appropriate volume.

Defensively, Porter possesses the size Denver desires in a small forward, but he’s a long way from being a quality stopper. He must buy-in on this end, especially factoring Malone’s defensive mindset. Much of this involves film study to improve positioning within Denver’s schemes, which was a weakness last season.

Malone’s job involves rolling with Porter’s defensive mistakes, encouraging learning and perseverance, as opposed to the quick benchings of last season. It’ll be tempting to start Barton in Porter’s place (especially considering Porter’s size also helps bench depth), but Malone must avoid this, as a Porter-less starting lineup won’t unleash Denver’s best basketball.

Denver lacked offensive firepower last postseason, but Porter wasn’t battle-tested to provide the necessary third-scorer impact. This cannot happen for a second straight year, as Malone would rightfully face scrutiny for similar errors in consecutive seasons.

Despite the fact Porter’s fit with Denver’s starters hasn’t yet proven stellar, the overarching problems are fixable. His talent demands a permanent starting spot, and it’s time for him to grow with Jokic and Murray to create the league’s next great big three.

If the Nuggets successfully integrate the best version of Porter into the starting lineup, they’ll be more than just dark-horse contenders. The next step requires the stomach to grind through a less-than-perfect beginning.