Michael Porter Jr. finally makes his debut in a Nuggets uniform

When he was drafted with the 14th-overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, the Nuggets preached patience. After all, their selection saw less than an hour of court time during his college career at Missouri, sidelined due to a back injury.

He might not play until Christmas. He might not see time until after the All-Star break. He might not get any minutes until the end of the season.

In the end, Michael Porter Jr. didn’t play at all. As a rookie, he watched every game from the bench, never donning a Nuggets uniform.

But there was still hope. Videos popped up on social media showing him practicing with the team, giving fans a glimpse of what the 6-foot-10 forward could bring to the table.

By July, these snippets had created quite the buzz. As a result, there was a lot of hype going into Summer League, where Porter was expected to his debut with the Nuggets.

Then, the injury bug struck again. This time, it was seen as precautionary, but the budding star was kept out of games due to issues with his knee and foot. Fans would have to wait a little longer to see what he could do.

Last night, in Denver’s preseason opener at Portland that wait finally came to an end. After nearly a year and a half of hype, anticipation, worry and concern, Michael Porter Jr. finally stepped onto the court in a Nuggets uniform.

Checking in to a basketball game for the first time in 571 days..

MICHAEL PORTER JR!!! pic.twitter.com/komCZtv5Qb

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) October 9, 2019

After not playing at all in the first half of Denvers’ 105-94 win, the forward saw 17 minutes of action after intermission. In the end, his stat line was pretty impressive.

Porter scored nine points on 4-of-7 shooting and grabbed three rebounds. More importantly, he looked healthy and comfortable on the court.

After months of only having practice videos to tantalize fans, the Nuggets now have highlights from games to create more hype. In his debut, Porter certainly showed flashes of what’s to come.

His first bucket was a smooth jumper, showing what he can bring to Denver’s offense.

MPJ scores his first points on an NBA floor!!

(and that step-back too 👀)#MileHighBasketball pic.twitter.com/WTPT52OstZ

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) October 9, 2019

And later, he drained a shot in front of the Blazers bench, which led to an exchange of pleasantries. A little swagger in Denver’s lineup wouldn’t be bad, either.

WHAT DID HE SAY SOMEONE PLEASE ASK HIMpic.twitter.com/W7VofrnuFN

— Katy Winge (@katywinge) October 9, 2019

It took a long time to get here, but Michael Porter Jr. finally made his debut in a Nuggets uniform. And in the end, it was worth the wait, as the forward looks like a player who can help Denver this season and beyond.

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