<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-michael-porter-jr-trade-nuggets-looking-improve');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Michael Porter Jr. trade buzz starts with Nuggets seeking improvement');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/0Michael-Porter-Jr.-trade-speculation-begins-with-Nuggets-looking-to-improv0.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Michael Porter Jr. trade buzz starts with Nuggets seeking improvement</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-15T09:31:51-08:00">December 15th, 9:31am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-15T09:31:51-08:00">December 15th, 9:31am</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Denver Nuggets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nikola-jokic-career-high-performance-spoiled-with-nuggets-loss-to-wizards">Denver Nuggets have had a frustrating season</a> as the calendar gets ready to turn to 2025. Despite another heroic start from star center Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets sit at just 13-10 and are in the middle of a crowded mix in the Western Conference standings.</p><p>Despite already winning a trip of league MVP’s, this has arguably been <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nuggets-news-nikola-jokic-critics-on-michael-malone">one of the best stretches of play of Jokic’s career</a>. Through 20 games this season, the big man is averaging 31.5 points, 13.3 rebounds and 9.8 assists per game. He consistently gives the Nuggets a chance to win games even as they deal with injuries and inconsistent play from some of the other pieces of the roster.</p><p>As a result, the Nuggets’ front office is getting antsy to try and return the Nuggets to championship contender status. In order to do so, they will likely need to make a trade in order to reach the league’s elite again. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-nuggets-want-to-make-a-trade-but-theres-a-problem">Any big deal that the Nuggets make</a> would likely have to include Michael Porter Jr. because the Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon are ineligible to be moved after signing contract extensions this summer.</p><p>Porter has had a good season, but recent history suggests that his market <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/all-the-latest-nba-trade-talk-and?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=153105630&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">may not be as big as one would think</a> according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line.</p><p>“The limited trade market witnessed for months for New Orleans’ Brandon Ingram, who is also earning $36 million in the final year of his current contract and whose stats have always been gaudier than Porter’s, would suggest that Denver making the 26-year-old available would not automatically generate high call volume,” Stein reported.</p><p>Porter is playing out the third year of his five-year max extension that is paying him about $36 million this year and will be worth about $80 million over the final two years. He has the type of salary to match a big name on the trade market, but the Nuggets lack the assets around him to entice a lot of teams to swing a blockbuster trade.</p><p>Porter’s value has been felt this year with his shooting and rebounding. He is also a big body on defense that, while out of position at times, can be a big asset as a weak side help defender. If the Nuggets want to pull off a big move involving Porter, they will need to find a star that complements Jokic and can replace the impact that Porter has brought to the table this year.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Michael Porter Jr. trade buzz starts with Nuggets seeking improvement

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/michael-porter-jr-jabari-smith-jr-called-out-by-carmelo-anthony-rudy-gay');   ga('set', 'title', 'Michael Porter Jr., Jabari Smith Jr. hilariously called out by Carmelo Anthony, Rudy Gay');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Michael-Porter-Jr.-Jabari-Smith-Jr.-hilariously-called-out-by-Carmelo-Anthony-Rudy-Gay.jpg"></figure><h1>Michael Porter Jr., Jabari Smith Jr. hilariously called out by Carmelo Anthony, Rudy Gay</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-13T16:28:04-08:00">November 13th, 4:28pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-13T16:28:04-08:00">November 13th, 4:28pm</time><address><a>Christopher Smith</a>Christopher Smith is an associate editor covering a variety of sports with a beat focus on the Chicago Sky for ClutchPoints. The Aurora, Illinois native earned a degree in philosophy from Creighton University, where he also competed as a Division 1 Cross Country runner.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The 2024-25 season is back in full swing, and the league’s young players are continuing to make promising improvements. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nuggets-news-michael-porter-jr-new-body-transformation-training-camp">Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr.</a> and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-finals-news-rockets-jabari-smith-jr-reveals-goal-after-attending-mavs-celtics-game-1">Houston Rockets big man Jabari Smith Jr.</a> are on a mission to help their teams climb the Western Conference. However, the two stars were comically called out by Carmelo Anthony and Rudy Gay during a podcast appearance in mid-November.</p><p>Anthony and Gay <a href="https://x.com/7PMinBrooklyn/status/1856809675855204864" rel="noopener">reminisced on times</a> when younger players figuratively called them old, with Gay sharing his Jabari Smith Jr. story first:</p><p>“We played Houston, Jabari Smith. He had just got there. He checked in. It’s the fourth quarter. He was like, “I thought you would try to come at me. I used to watch you growing up. I’m like d***… I’m like, this ain’t 2010,” Gay told Anthony before erupting in laughter on an episode of 7 PM in Brooklyn.</p><p>If Rudy Gay’s story is not interesting enough, Anthony’s will get fans laughing even harder.</p><h2><b>Carmelo Anthony had to educate Michael Porter Jr. </b></h2><p>“The worst is, ‘Yo I ain’t know you still had that’… We playing Denver. This is the first I’ve played them in a long time. Go back. Michael Porter is guarding me. I catch him on like the right elbow and just catch it, post, quick jab, go left, and lay it up. He like, ‘D*** unc, I ain’t know you still had that,” Anthony shared with the group.</p><p>At 26, Michael Porter Jr. is older than 21-year-old Jabari Smith Jr., so the Nuggets forward should have known that Carmelo Anthony did in fact still have one of his signature offensive skills. Nevertheless, both young players were happy to be able to guard two of the most impactful scorers in the mid-2000s era of the NBA.</p><p>The league continues to gain an influx of talent every year. All young players will eventually become veterans, but as illustrated in this comical story, skills can be admired for a long time.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Michael Porter Jr., Jabari Smith Jr. hilariously called out by Carmelo Anthony, Rudy Gay

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nuggets-news-did-michael-porter-jr-hint-at-denver-implosion-with-break-it-up-message');   ga('set', 'title', 'Did Michael Porter Jr. hint at Nuggets implosion with ‘break it up’ message?');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Did-Michael-Porter-Jr.jpg"></figure><h1>Did Michael Porter Jr. hint at Nuggets implosion with ‘break it up’ message?</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-01T14:45:22-07:00">November 1st, 2:45pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-01T15:03:43-07:00">November 1st, 3:03pm</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints in October 2023 as a Miami Heat reporter as well as an Associate Editor. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Denver Nuggets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Before the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nuggets-vs-timberwolves-prediction-odds-pick-11-1-2024">Denver Nuggets take on the Minnesota Timberwolves</a> tonight, there has been a lot of talk about the state of the team in terms of the tensions between the front office and the coaching staff. As people <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nuggets-fatal-flaw-doom-2025-nba-championship-chances">question the Nuggets’ title chances this season</a>, even star Michael Porter Jr. would possibly hint at the team blowing it all up for a rebuild or making some drastic changes.</p><p>A piece on ESPN by Ramona Shelburne detailing the relationship between the roster, coaching staff, and front office offered a candid look from players such as Porter. He would say to ESPN that if they don’t win another championship this season, management<a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/42119134/nikola-jokic-shrinking-prime-disconnect-brewing-denver-nuggets-try-salvage-it" rel="noopener"> “might have to break it up.”</a></p><p>“If we don’t win it this year,” Porter Jr. said. “We all know they might have to break it up.”</p><p>In terms of what exactly he is talking about, one might assume it would be the main core involving not just Porter but superstar Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. In order to bolster the roster,<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nuggets-news-russell-westbrook-6-8-million-contract"> the Nuggets would sign point guard Russell Westbrook</a> but have lost key pieces such as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Bruce Brown, Jeff Green, and Reggie Jackson.</p><h2><b>Nuggets tension started after they won the title in 2023 </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Michael-Porter-Jr.-and-Nikola-Jokic-on-March-21-2024.jpg"><figcaption>Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth would say to ESPN that there is “tension” that possibly started from the pressure to keep up success from winning the title in 2023 when they beat the Miami Heat in five games.</p><p>“There was this urge to compete, especially from the players and the coaches and even myself,” Booth said. “You want to win, especially coming off the heels of winning the championship. And that’s probably where the tension started.</p><p>“What are you guys trying to do? Are you trying to win? Are you trying to develop?” Booth continued. “I think everybody had the best intent going in. There was buy-in. But I think competition and the focus on that can distract you from the buy-in.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nuggets-news-nikola-jokic-full-2009-carmelo-anthony-help-denver-end-drought">As Jokic is off to another great start,</a> he has a modest viewpoint on the state of Denver, which, when asked about possible tensions, he would downplay and say he’s just focused on basketball.</p><p>“That’s not my job,” Jokic said. “I’m just trying to play basketball, and I’m happy if we have a chance every year.”</p><p>“I think people in general, they always want more and more and more, but they don’t know what they have,” Jokic continued. “I’m really happy we have one title — a lot of very good players don’t win.”</p><p>At any rate, the Nuggets are 2-2 on the season as they look to shut down any negative noise and beat the Timberwolves on Friday night.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Did Michael Porter Jr. hint at Nuggets implosion with ‘break it up’ message?

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nuggets-news-michael-porter-jr-2-bold-plans-kentavious-caldwell-pope-gone');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nuggets’ Michael Porter Jr. reveals 2 bold plans with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope gone');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Nuggets-news-Michael-Porter-Jr.-reveals-2-bold-plans-with-Kentavious-Caldwell-Pope-gone.jpg"></figure><h1>Nuggets’ Michael Porter Jr. reveals 2 bold plans with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope gone</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-26T18:19:30-07:00">September 26th, 6:19pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-26T18:19:30-07:00">September 26th, 6:19pm</time><address><a>Michael Aaron Gomez</a>Michael Aaron Gomez is a creative writer and longtime NBA fan. He has been a fan of the Lakers since the three-peat but believes LeBron James is the greatest player of all time.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Denver Nuggets might have lost one of their key rotation players in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency, but longtime starter Michael Porter Jr. should be ready to take on more responsibilities ahead of next season. In the offseason, two-time NBA champion <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/magic-news-kentavious-caldwell-pope-leaving-nuggets-for-orlando">KCP signed with the Orlando Magic</a>, boosting their young playoff squad with championship poise and experience. Without the two-way guard, MPJ said he was willing to score even more points.</p><p>“There’s no reason why I can’t take my 17 points per game to 20,” the Nuggets swingman said, via <a href="https://x.com/HarrisonWind/status/1839367742765551973" rel="noopener">a post</a> from Nuggets beat writer Harrison Wind on X, formerly Twitter. “I need to be looking for one or two more 3-pointers in games,” MPJ also added in <a href="https://x.com/HarrisonWind/status/1839367424778609059" rel="noopener">a separate post</a>.</p><h2><b>The Nuggets prepare for another run</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Michael-Porter-Jr.-and-KCP-celebrating.jpg"><figcaption>© Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Nuggets fans should be excited to hear Michael Porter Jr.’s readiness to score more points in the absence of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. However, it’s just funny that his first thought was even more offense, when KCP was arguably their best two-way player.</p><p>Pope may not have locked down the opponents’ best player, but he gave their defense enough time to compose itself and helped get stops when teams tried to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nuggets-news-nikola-jokics-hilarious-1-word-response-to-suns-pick-and-roll-question">pick-and-roll Nikola Jokic to death</a>.</p><p>Still, Porter knows his value. Again, arguably, he is the team’s X-factor, and the Nuggets wouldn’t have won a title in 2023 if he hadn’t rounded into his peak offensive capabilities.</p><p>While Jokic and Jamal Murray are the team’s 1A and 1B players, MPJ gives the team a scoring punch that’s nearly impossible to scheme for. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nuggets-news-nikola-jokic-playoffs-stats-denver">Joker alone is almost impossible to defend</a>, and then you add the 6’10” MPJ who can shoot lights-out like a taller Klay Thompson (just without the defense) and you have a championship-level offense.</p><p>Per StatMuse, in 12 games for the Nuggets in the 2024 playoffs, Porter averaged 15.8 points on shooting splits of 46.6% from the field and 40.7% from three. More than even Murray, he was the main reason the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-lebron-james-pinpoints-reasons-for-blown-opportunities-vs-nuggets">Nuggets beat the Lakers in two straight playoffs</a> because LA simply had no one to guard him.</p><h2><b>Outlook</b></h2><p>Likewise, the Timberwolves dethroned them in the semifinals last season because they were able to limit Porter’s production, as he managed to score in double figures only twice in seven games.</p><p>The departure of KCP may have knocked the Nuggets just a tier below actual title contenders in the West like the Wolves or the Oklahoma City Thunder. Still, the Nuggs are a dangerous team and a significant roadblock for the new contenders looking for an NBA championship.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nuggets’ Michael Porter Jr. reveals 2 bold plans with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope gone

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nuggets-news-michael-porter-jr-new-body-transformation-training-camp');   ga('set', 'title', 'Michael Porter Jr. reveals new body transformation before training camp');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/IMG_0785.jpeg"></figure><h1>Michael Porter Jr. reveals new body transformation before training camp</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-26T16:49:43-07:00">September 26th, 4:49pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-26T16:49:43-07:00">September 26th, 4:49pm</time><address><a>David Yapkowitz</a>David Yapkowitz is an NBA Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a credentialed reporter based in Los Angeles who covers the NBA/WNBA, NCAA/NCAAW and boys/girls high school basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With the departure of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-kentavious-caldwell-pope-declined-nuggets-return-free-agency">Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency</a>, the Denver Nuggets are going to be relying on Michael Porter Jr. on the wing more than they have in recent seasons. The Nuggets held media day this week and ahead of training camp, Michael Porter revealed that he had <a href="https://x.com/VBenedetto/status/1839368194123018737" rel="noopener">undergone a new body transformation</a> for this season as per Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette.</p><p>Benedetto reported that, “Michael Porter Jr. is on muscle watch. He says he’s around 236/237 pounds right now. He expects to play around 232. He was listed at 218 last season.”</p><p>With Porter bulking up, it’s possible that the Nuggets expect he will play a little more in the post. He’s had success with being able to post up smaller wings and shoot the little turnaround jumper. Porter is expected to reprise his role as the Nuggets starting small forward for the upcoming season.</p><p>A former top-ranked high school recruit, Porter overcame a back injury his rookie year to develop into one of the best role players in the league. He played a crucial role during the Nuggets 2023 championship run.</p><p>This past season, Porter appeared in 81 games at a little over 31 minutes per game. He averaged 16.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists with splits of 48.4 percent shooting from the field, 39.7 percent shooting from the three-point line and 83.6 percent shooting from the free-throw line. His free-throw percentage was a career-high.</p><p>The former No. 14 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, Porter is also one of the league’s best three-point shooters with a career average of 41 percent from distance. He’s one of the best catch and shoot players in the NBA. He will be entering his sixth season in the NBA with the Nuggets.</p><p>The Nuggets made it to the Western Conference Semifinals last season before falling to the Minnesota Timberwolves in seven games.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
18.3	6.9	2.8	0.4	0.8

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
18.3	6.9	2.8	0.4	0.8

Michael Porter

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Nuggets’ Michael Porter Jr. reveals 2 bold plans with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope gone

Michael Porter Jr. reveals new body transformation before training camp

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