Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young recently spoke with The Philadelphia 76ers Paul George All-Star for an episode of “Podcast P.’
The two star shooters discussed a range of topics and were led to talk about Denver Nuggets star Michael Porter Jr.
As Young knows Porter well, he acknowledged the former five-star NBA forward’s career path change due to a back injury he suffered early in his career.
With Porter being one of the best players in the country, Young believes he could have become another point guard if he had stayed healthy. Unfortunately, a back injury slowed him down.
“The difference in his game [since the injury]“He could have been another point guard,” Young told George. “He’s very gifted offensively and he’s so fluid in his game. He was a very good defender in high school, but he could have been an even better defender at this level if his back hadn’t been so stiff and he hadn’t had screws and stuff messed up in his back. It’s just unfortunate. He would have been a very, very high-level player.”
Trae Young was there when Michael Porter Jr.’s back injury changed his career.
A special talent before that, and STILL a special talent now. Hi MPJ 🫡 pic.twitter.com/xolHDRUGTa
— Podcast P with Paul George (@PodcastPShow) August 15, 2024
Young’s assessment isn’t necessarily a criticism. The Hawks star noted that Porter has still “had a good career so far.” After a brief stint at the University of Missouri, Porter’s high school performance was enough to earn him a spot with the Nuggets with the 14th overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft.
THE Philadelphia 76ers on SI The show is available on streaming platforms Spotify, Apple and Amazon.
Over the past five seasons, Porter has played nearly 270 games for the Nuggets. He has started 214 games, averaging 28 minutes on the court. Throughout his career, Porter has averaged 50 percent shooting from the field and 41 percent from three-point range. He has averaged 16 points and six rebounds per game.
In high school, Porter earned several significant personal accolades, including National High School Player of the Year and McDonald’s All-American MVP. Although he did not win any individual awards at the NBA level, Porter helped the Nuggets win an NBA championship in 2023.
Porter played 20 games with the Nuggets in the playoffs and averaged 13 points and eight rebounds as Denver won the NBA title. He may not be an All-Star at 26, but Porter has carved out a solid place for himself in the pros.
