Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray could not help the Denver Nuggets during the postseason as Nikola Jokic and co. fought their way to five games against the red-hot Golden State Warriors. Jokic could not avoid elimination and now Denver is back in the drawing board.
According to Porter. Jr., health is what the Nuggets need next season to become one of the best teams in the NBA. Denver was 48-34 this season. They finished 2nd in the Northwest Division and 6th in the Western Conference. They lost in the Western Conference First Round against the Golden State Warriors.
“We can be the best team in the NBA,” Porter said Friday, via NBA.com, “when we have everybody healthy.”
Porter, who only appeared in 9 nine games this season, underwent a back surgery this-his third in his career. He will have a full summer to get back to his usual self. The same goes for Jamal Murray, who recovers from an ACL surgery.
“I’m trying to be very careful and very cognizant of how I treat this rehab process because, for me, it’s all about just being healthy,” Porter said. “I think I can take off from there and string a long time of being healthy together.”
Porter admitted he could have played in the playoff first-round series,but, he wouldn’t be comfortable moving around the court. The Nuggets and the player elected to not risk any further injury by rushing back.
“On one leg and stand in the corner and shoot 3s,” Porter said on the potential of returning in the 2022 playoffs. “Would I have been at my best? I definitely would not have been at my best. At that point, it’s just thinking long-term versus short-term.”
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