The 2018 NBA draft will be remembered for one of the deepest and most talented classes of all-time.
Luka Doncic was selected third overall. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander slipped to 11th. Jalen Brunson fell to 33rd. Trae Young was taken fifth. Jaren Jackson Jr. went fourth. Mikal Bridges went 10th.
But at one point, one prospect was viewed above them all, widely projected to be selected with the No. 1 pick that year’s draft.
Then, Michael Porter Jr. injured his back in his first appearance at Missouri, limiting him to three college games after undergoing spinal disk surgery.
Porter dropped to 14th — despite draft night pleas from Knicks fans, who watched the team select bust Kevin Knox with the ninth pick — then underwent another back surgery that sidelined him for his entire first season in the NBA.
But more than seven years after Porter fell to the final pick of the lottery, the 6-foot-10 forward is in a starring role for the first time.
“You can see the growth,” Nets coach Jordi Fernandeez said before Friday’s 125-107 loss to the Pistons. “We need him to keep growing.”
Porter, who scored a team-leading 28 points against Detroit, hit the jackpot by landing in Denver, alongside Nikola Jokic, the three-time MVP with all-time vision and selflessness.
For six seasons, Porter was handed open looks in ideal spots — hitting over 40 percent of 3s in his career — and played a key role on the Nuggets’ 2023 title team, hitting the boards and using his length.
He was paid like a star — earning a $172 million extension in 2021 — but could take possessions off, playing off Jokic and Jamal Murray.
In Brooklyn, Porter — who was acquired in a deal that included Cam Johnson — lives in the spotlight, a 27-year-old veteran on the league’s youngest team, asked to do more than ever before, thrust into the role he was expected to occupy long ago.
Entering Friday, Porter was averaging career-high numbers in points (22.4), rebounds (8.4) and assists (3.0).
His 18.3 field goal attempts per game were nearly five more than his previous high.
But the increased workload and defensive attention has also resulted in Porter producing career-low percentages on field goals (46.9) and 3-pointers (33.9), plus a career-worst mark in turnovers (2.4).
“It’s challenging,” Fernandez said. “The intensity he’s playing with is different. Where he was before, it was a different context, not better or worse … He touches the ball more. His turnovers are up, so he’s gotta clean that up a little bit. I like his 3-point attempts because he draws so much attention and he gets his teammates open. I just want him to get them up and get good shots because they’re gonna go in. He’s one of the best shooters in the world.
“You don’t become a leader and a veteran in one day, and we’re asking a guy in Mike [and Nic Claxton] to be the grown people there. They’re professional, they’re responsible, but they’re forced to grow quick.”
Going forward, Porter’s importance will only grow, following a hamstring injury that will sideline second-leading scorer Cam Thomas for multiple weeks.
“I’m going to push myself to be able to handle a bigger load than I used to,” Porter said last week. “I’ve always been someone that can adapt to a situation … As the season goes on, I’ll get even more comfortable figuring out how I can get good looks off against some of these really good defenders.
“It’s going to be a work in progress.”
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