Michael Porter Jr. takes blame for Nuggets series loss to Wolves

Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. did not have a good series against the Minnesota Timberwolves last spring.

He wasn’t the only one who played poorly, but was a big reason why the Nuggets went home in the second-round while trying to defend their first NBA title.

Denver blew a 20-point lead at home in Game 7, losing in stunning fashion. Porter scored just seven points in the collapse that fans are still stung by. In fact, he scored in single-digits in five out of the seven games in the series. He also made only two of 12 three-pointers combined in Game 6 and 7 losses.

At Nuggets media day on Thursday, what happened several months ago was still fresh on Porter’s mind. And fans will like this quote, as he took the blame for Denver not going to the Western Conference Finals and hopefully beyond.

MPJ "I know I didn't do what I could in the Wolves series, I didn't need anyone to tell me. I take all the blame. It was a big motivator for me this summer. (The Wolves) saw how I played against the Lakers and adjusted."

— Jake Shapiro (@Shapalicious) September 26, 2024

Of course in the first-round against the Lakers, Porter was great. The Nuggets won the series in five games, and wouldn’t have without him. Porters averaged 22.8 points per game against Los Angeles and made 48.8 percent of his three-point shots. That number dipped to just 32.5 percent against the Wolves.

Yes, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope also struggled against Minnesota, but Porter seemed to take the majority of the heat. He certainly owned that when meeting with the press.

Porter also needs to hit the glass harder as a rebounder on a consistent basis. He averaged 8.4 rebounds per game against the Lakers, but just 5.7 rebounds per contest against the Wolves. He was in the weight room this summer, and looked noticeably stronger.

MPJ says he's about 237 pounds and he'll play at 232. He's added about five pound of muscle.

— Jake Shapiro (@Shapalicious) September 26, 2024

In losing KCP this offseason, the Nuggets lost one of their best three-point threats. Porter will need to take and make more of those per game, and also use his 6-foot-10 frame to pull in more rebounds.

It sounds like he’s aware of both of those things, and Michael Porter Jr. said all the right things at Nuggets media day.