Michael Porter Jr. Injury Update Is Extremely Concerning for Nuggets
By Peter Dewey
The Denver Nuggets will reportedly be without forward Michael Porter Jr. for the remainder of the 2021-22 season, as he undergoes a surgical procedure on his lower back.
Sources: Denver forward Michael Porter Jr. is expected to miss the remainder of the season due to back surgery. Tough blow, but with Porter’s five-year extension kicking in next season, he and the Nuggets take big-picture approach to his health.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 29, 2021
Porter Jr. hasn't played since injuring his back on Nov. 6 against the Houston Rockets.
Nuggets F Michael Porter Jr., will undergo a surgical procedure on his lower back and miss an indefinite period, his agent Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports tells ESPN. Bartelstein says Porter’s expected to make a full recovery; timetable on return will come after surgery.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 29, 2021
Porter Jr., who entered this season as one of the favorites at WynnBET Sportsbook to win the NBA's Most Improved Player award, is the latest Denver star to go down to injury. The Nuggets are already without point guard Jamal Murray after he tore his ACL late in the 2020-21 season.
The Nuggets are still +2000 to win the NBA title and +1000 to win the Western Conference at WynnBET, but it's hard to see superstar Nikola Jokic being able to accomplish either feat without Porter Jr. and Murray.
Last season, MPJ took a major step forward, averaging a career-high 19.0 points per game while shooting 44.5 percent from beyond the arc. Porter Jr., who dealt with back issues in his freshman season at the University of Missouri, was the No. 14 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.
He signed a max contract extension with the Nuggets this offseason, but the back issue that caused his slip in the draft, and for him to miss the 2018-19 season, seems to have returned.
This season, Porter Jr. was off to a slow start. He appeared in nine games for Denver averaging 9.9 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game while shooting just 35.9 percent from the field.
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