Michael Porter Jr. became one of the biggest name changes of the offseason when Dallas traded him for Brooklyn for Cameron Johnson.
The NBA community labeled the deal as highly supportive of Nuggets. Denver saved about $17 million a year while acquiring Johnson, widely considered a great defensive player.
However, Michael Porter Jr. recognizes a great benefit from his new situation as he has the chance to win a scoring title.
With the Denver Nuggets, Porter operated as the third or fourth attack option behind Nicola Zhokic’s system.
Brooklyn offers him the opportunity to become the primary scorer, decision maker and team Nicola Jokic.
“The difference between my situation right now and Denver’s situation is that we make a decision so that our team doesn’t have Nicola Jokic who has the ball every time we go down the floor,” Porter explained.
“So I’m trying to get a little more ball. I have to play more, I have to take tougher shots. It was a blessing to play with Nicola, one of the best passersby in the league.
Porter has a legitimate opportunity to lead the net in scoring. Last season’s top goalscorer Cam Thomas faced an uncertain future and Johnson moved to Denver in a trade.
The expanded role brings different pressure dynamics compared to Denver’s tenure, including his championship.
Porter acknowledges the transition from title or bust expectations to developmental focus.
“I feel there’s more pressure on certain aspects, but there’s less pressure. I don’t want to lose, but this team’s expectations are not yet a championship. In the Nuggets it was like a championship or a bust.
“In Brooklyn, that’s a bit different. But I, personally, have to take a step as a leader. I have to take a step to be reliant on, and really, my focus is incredible right now, so I can go out that night and have the toughest defender on me.”
Porter’s transformation from complementary scorer to featured options represents Brooklyn’s commitment to developing talent, but Denver will prioritize defensive improvements and pay savings for next season to be more competitive.