There have been several impressive performances that came out of nowhere to surprise NBA fans and analysts.
From Julius Randle’s leading performance for the fourth-seeded New York Knicks to Jerami Grant’s breakout campaign in a featured role for the Detroit Pistons, the league has seen players from all over the Association step up and impress in different roles.
However, it’s hard to ignore the dramatic increase in production from Michael Porter Jr., who has risen to be the second option on offense for the Denver Nuggets, the league’s hottest team since the All-Star break.
This rise from the 22-year-old forward came during one of the most difficult seasons in NBA history, and Porter Jr. himself had to navigate various circumstances that saw him miss time early in the season, move around in different roles, and assume a larger role within the offense down the stretch of the season. And yet, all Porter Jr. continued to do was produce.
Let’s take a closer look at why Porter Jr. deserves to be named the Most Improved Player of the Year for the 2020-21 campaign.
1) The increase in production
It’s one thing for a player to increase their scoring with a larger role within an offense. However, to increase one’s scoring while simultaneously increasing the efficiency in which those points are obtained is a rare occurrence, typically reserved for the elite offensive players in the league.
Well at just 22 years old, Porter Jr. has done just that, more than doubling his scoring (9.3 points to 19 points per game) while being even more efficient this season (54.2 percent from the field and 44.5 percent from beyond the arc compared to 50.9 percent and 42.2 percent, respectively, last season).
Porter Jr. has been more of a focus for defenses this season and still managed to increase his scoring while improving his efficiency at the same time.
Although advanced statistics aren’t the only way to evaluate performance in the NBA. However, when used in conjunction with the film, the results are all the same: Porter Jr. has grown and improved tremendously this season.
Pick any advanced stat (Win Shares, True Shooting Percentage, Box Plus-Minus, Value Over Replacement Player, etc.) and what you will find is that Porter Jr. took a major leap in each measure during the 2020-21 campaign.
For example, Porter Jr.’s True Shooting Percentage (66.3 percent) and Win Shares per 48 minutes (.173) are higher than Randle’s, considered to be the frontrunner for the Most Improved Player of the Year award.
Denver’s offense was 9.1 points per 100 possessions better with Porter Jr. on the court this season, which ranks in the 96th percentile. Again, this is a 22-year-old in his second full NBA season making this significant of an impact on an NBA offense.
Yes, you read that right. Porter Jr. just had the second most efficient 19+ PPG season in NBA history. At 22 years old.
In Porter Jr.’s case, the numbers certainly back up the eye-opening scoring abilities seen on the court on a nightly basis.
2) Improved defense
As ESPN’s Zach Lowe pointed out in his annual awards column, Porter Jr. didn’t just earn more playing time this season because of a lack of available bodies or simply because of his play on the offensive end.
“But Porter earned that time by earning Malone's trust on defense,” Lowe said. “About 25 games into the season, you could see it coming together. Porter made more rotations on time. He snared steals and deflections. He morphed into a rim protector who unnerved opposing scorers. He's getting it.”
Denver’s defense has been better with Porter Jr. on the floor this season than it was last season, while the 22-year-old contributed more steals and blocks per game this season as he continues to adjust to defense at the NBA level.
As he shifted between playing both forward positions, the Columbia, MO-native got more comfortable on the defensive end of the floor, especially as a help-side defender capable of using his height and athleticism to block shots inside the paint.
3) Adjusting to various roles
It may seem like Porter Jr.’s ascension was a smooth ride because of his play since the All-Star break (22.7 points and 7.4 rebounds per game).
However, the 22-year-old’s season was a rollercoaster full of missed time in the opening month and adjustments to various roles during the second half of the season. Porter Jr. first began the season primarily playing the small forward position before he shifted over to the power forward position for an extended period.
Following the trade deadline acquisition of Aaron Gordon, Porter Jr. navigated various matchups and roles with Gordon in Denver’s frontcourt. One final adjustment had to come when head coach Michael Malone opted to play Porter Jr. alongside Denver’s second unit for significant stretches during April and May to provide those groups with a go-to scoring option.
To balance those various roles all while continuing to increase production speaks to Porter Jr.’s raw talent and versatility.