Michael Porter Jr. has played a key role in helping the Nuggets advance to their first NBA Finals in franchise history.
The 6-10 forward perfectly complements Denver's duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, staying ready to catch and shoot whenever opposing defenses are hyperfocused on the team's focal points.
Porter Jr. has been one of the best and most consistent perimeter shooters in the league since the day he first stepped on an NBA court. In the three seasons where he has played at least 50 games, he has shot over 40.0 percent from 3-point range. In the 2023 NBA Playoffs, he is averaging 14.6 points while knocking down 40.8 percent of his 6.9 3-point attempts per game.
How did Denver land the former top high school prospect in the first place? Porter Jr. was widely considered to be in the running for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft before injuries took their toll.
Here's how he fell into the Nuggets' lap just inside the lottery.
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Why did Michael Porter Jr. fall in 2018 NBA Draft?
Michael Porter Jr. high school ranking
Porter Jr. was seen as one of the best prospects in high school basketball. According to 247Sports, the five-star recruit was ranked as the No. 2 player in the class of 2017 behind future Duke star Marvin Bagley III.
Porter Jr. was ranked ahead of future No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton, as well as other future top picks like Mo Bamba, Wendell Carter Jr., Jaren Jackson Jr., Trae Young and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Porter Jr. and Young were star teammates during their AAU days, taking home co-MVP of Nike's highly touted EYBL Peach Jam tournament.
Michael Porter Jr.'s injury at Missouri
Porter Jr. had offers from several high-major programs and originally committed to Washington to play under his father, Michael Porter Sr., who was an assistant coach for the Huskies.
When Washington fired its head coach, Lorenzo Romar, Porter Sr. took a job as an assistant at Missouri. Porter Jr. elected to follow his father to Mizzou, as did his younger brother, Jontay.
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Porter Jr.'s lone college season was derailed by a serious lower back injury that required surgery — a microdiscectomy of his L3-L4 spinal discs. He only appeared in three games as a result.
Porter Jr., surprisingly, was able to return for the final two games of Missouri's season, playing in the SEC Tournament and NCAA Tournament. He averaged 14.0 points and 9.0 rebounds over those two contests.
Michael Porter Jr. falls to Nuggets at pick No. 14 in 2018 NBA Draft
Before his injury, Porter Jr. was widely expected to be in the running for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. But an 18-year-old receiving lower back surgery was enough to deter teams away from his talents.
"Concerns about the long-term outlook of Porter's health following back and hip issues have him potentially sliding out of the top 10, according to sources," ESPN's Jonathan Givony wrote ahead of the draft. "Porter came into the season with hopes of making a run at being the No. 1 pick in the draft. However, he wasn't able to build his case because of injuries."
Not only did Porter Jr. fall out of the top 10, he nearly fell out of the lottery.
When the former top high school prospect fell into Denver's lap at No. 14, the Nuggets had no choice but to select him — even if they had never worked him out and had only spoken to him once in the pre-draft process.
"Honestly, the Nuggets were the last place I thought I would ever go," Porter Jr. told Mike Singer of The Denver Post in an oral history of the Nuggets' draft-night steal. "That’s the only time I ever talked to them. I probably talked to every other team in the league except Denver."
Now, Porter Jr. is only four wins away from helping the Nuggets win their first NBA championship in franchise history.