The Nuggets took a big risk in drafting Michael Porter Jr 14th overall in the NBA Draft last week. Teams passed up on the projected top 10 pick because of his medical history. Porter Jr. was projected to be the number one draft pick in this draft last year coming out of high school, but a back injury kept him out all of three games with Missouri. During pre-draft workouts, he had to leave because of muscle spams which didn’t help his draft stock either. He had the same back surgery as Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and professional golfer Tiger Woods and was selective in giving teams his medical records before the draft.
The Nuggets decided that with all of Porter Jr.’s back issues that he was worth the risk and decided to draft him. Now Nuggets fans will have to wait on his debut as that is an uncertainty at the moment. Nuggets president Josh Kroenke explained to Marc Spears of the Undefeated that the team is not sure if Porter will play in the upcoming season or in summer league to have him fully heal from his back surgery last year. Kroenke acknowledged that it wasn’t a safe pick, but showed confidence in Porter Jr. and will look to make sure his is fully healthy before having him play in the NBA.
The Nuggets have a luxury that they are a deep team with players who can play well already at Porter Jr.’s position. Porter Jr. might have a similar path as rookie of the year candidate Ben Simmons, who sat out a full year to heal from an injury he had before his rookie season. This is a precautionary measure taken by the Nuggets to ensure their pick is healthy when he is needed to produce. If Micheal Porter Jr. turns out to be a star in the league the Nuggets will be praised for their patience with him, instead of throwing him out there when he is not fully 100%.
On the next page, Michael Porter Jr. explained that he doesn’t expect his back injuries to affect him in his career or hinder his progress.