Why Michael Porter Jr Should Take More Interior Shots

Michael Porter Jr has played in 55 games this year so far, which has to be considered a win in its own right considering the persistent back issues he’s had dating back to his college days.

The 24-year-old is one of the league’s best long-range shooters, and a crucial part of Denver’s offense, which is built around the playmaking of Nikola Jokić. Porter Jr is currently hitting 41.5% of his 7.1 nightly three-point attempts, his third season of hitting above 40% from the outside of his career.

But while the 6’10 forward is a nightmare matchup for defenders on the outside, his inclination to take perimeter shots can make him predictable.

The good news? There’s justification for trying Porter Jr closer to the basket as well. Over his career, he’s hit an astounding 79% of his attempts from within three feet, and is sporting an 80.3% accuracy rate this season. It stands to reason that shot should take up more than 16.5% of his offense as it currently does.

Porter Jr has a combination of size and touch, that rarely is seen. He’s got proper power forward size, but plays like a shooting guard. He’s not Kevin Durant, but he’s enough Durant adjacent to make life hell on defenders if he were to explore and embrace the interior a bit more.

Just over a quarter of his offense – 26.4% specifically – comes from within ten feet of the basket, with 66.8% of it coming from beyond 16 feet. He’s efficient wherever he is, however. There isn’t a single area inside the three-point line where he isn’t hitting at least 45%, so it’s not like Denver isn’t getting efficient offense from him. But, Denver could stand to see Porter Jr establish himself more inside, especially with Jokić off the floor. He’s simply too effective down there, and it’s been a theme for his entire career.

When the playoffs roll around, defensive intensity will increase exponentially. Often, players will see their three-point shots get challenged more aggressively, and finding counters becomes a crucial element to surviving those type of changing defenses. Denver is looking for a deep run in the postseason, meaning every single possible advantage – however small – should be explored.

Denver’s bench has generally been a concern, and the Jokić drop-off is real. The offense stalls, and players rely too heavily on jumpers, opening the door for opponents to get back into games. The Nuggets need a counter, and something stable, they can rely on in those moments.

Using Porter Jr more as an inside player in the secondary rotation could be an interesting wrinkle when you consider his efficiency down low. This needn’t mean he should play with his back to the basket, but rather the focus should be on him to cut towards the rim more, and perhaps sacrifice a few outside shots to keep the defense guessing.

When Jokić comes back in, who’s obviously a tremendous post presence, Porter Jr slides back out more often, to space the floor and play a more opportunistic brand of basketball.

Of course, Porter Jr’s health does make the above scenario challenging. Denver wouldn’t want to overburden him and risk injury, and by playing more on the inside, contact is to be expected. That’s why head coach Mike Malone will need to be smart about it, and use Porter Jr in a way where quick cuts, and overall off-ball movement is optimized, so the forward doesn’t spend more time down there than is necessary.

In a perfect world, Porter Jr would even utilize his 225-pound frame to seek out contact and draw free throws – he’s taken just 107 on the year spread out over 1,594 minutes – but with one full missed year, and him playing just nine games last season, the Nuggets aren’t about to take any chances. If Denver is to be a legitimately championship contender, they’ll need Porter Jr deep into the playoffs.

Even so, upping his shots near the rim during non-Jokić minutes could have a ripple effect that could make life easier for the Nuggets as their MVP candidate takes a breather. Getting the team’s most versatile scorer to become even more of a matchup nightmare would be a good start.

Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.