Will Michael Porter Jr finally make his long-awaited return for the Nuggets against the Warriors after missing the majority of the season with a back injury?
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When Jamal Murray was scheduled to be out for the season, Michael Porter Jr. was touted by many as this year’s potential MIP award winner this season. In addition, he was paid max money by the Nuggets, so expectations were sky-high for the 23-year-old.
However, at the beginning of the season, in a game against the Houston Rockets, MPJ blew a wide-open, fast-break layup in front of the home crowd, deserving a nomination in the Shaqtin-a-fool compilation. It seemed like the forward pulled out in what was an apparent quad injury. Check out the clip here:
Michael Porter Jr. just blew a WIDE OPEN layup 👀 pic.twitter.com/7cwhOsrmpK
— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) November 6, 2021
It was later reported that Porter Jr. is dealing with a severe back injury and will be out for the foreseeable future. At the time, the expected timeline for a return for late in the season. However, ahead of the game against the Warriors, the Nuggets have released an update that will please Denver fans.
With that in mind, will Michael Porter Jr. play tonight vs Golden State Warriors? Read on to find out…
Michael Porter Jr. is listed as ‘out’ for game against the Warriors.
According to the Nuggets’ latest injury report, Michael Porter Jr. is out against the Warriors. In fact, the 23-year-old has played only 9 games this season following his back injury earlier in the season.
However, all is not bleak for the young forward. As per the latest updates, he is cleared for on-court contact within the next week or so. This could result in MPJ returning sometime around late March and will try to help the Nuggets make that late playoff push.
Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., is progressing to be cleared for on-court contact within the next week, freeing a path for him to return to the lineup sometime in March, his agent Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports tells ESPN. Story: https://t.co/kGgAmFvgZs
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 27, 2022
However, the medical team will certainly not rush the 23-year-old back into the mix after his back injury. Moreover, Porter Jr. had multiple back surgeries at Missouri before being taken 14th overall in the 2018 NBA Draft, so expect to slowly ease him back into action.
As MPJ is set to sit out, expect forward Aaron Gordon to shoulder some of the duties. Meanwhile, either Will Barton or Jeff Green is expected to start at the SF spot for the Nuggets.
All that being said, Porter Jr. certainly hasn’t lived up to the expectations of fans and media alike when he has played this season. Throughout the first few games of the season, he is averaging a measly 9.9 points and 6.6 rebounds per game this season, while shooting a shocking 20.3% from three-point range.
