Michael Porter Jr. reveals recent struggles come from surprising place

DENVER — Michael Porter Jr. went on All-Star Break riding the best stretch of play in his career, but since he’s struggled a bit, he revealed on Monday that some of his issues are coming from his leg brace.

Porter has a special brace for his left foot that helps him play through a condition called “drop foot” that stems from his multiple back surgeries. The sharp-shooting forward has missed almost two entire seasons with injury issues. But he’s played over 62 games in each of the last three years, and he’s done so in a custom brace that wraps around his ankle.

“You don’t get used to wearing something like that,” Porter said in early 2024. “Without it, I probably could play, but I need the stability as well.”

Porter found ways to make it work, putting together the most productive stint of his career over the last three years. MPJ looked like the Denver Nuggets’ second-best player at times early this season, including a torrid stretch before the All-Star Game where he tallied three 30-point games in a row for the first time.

Yet he only got over 25 points once in the second half of the season as his shooting percentages dipped. He was still collecting rebounds like a monster, and that has continued into the playoffs, where he tallied a playoff career-high 15 boards during Monday’s Game 2 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. He hurt his shoulder late in that game, but he shared a longer-term issue after the game.

“I’m dealing with some stuff behind the scenes that is affecting the way I play,” Porter shared. “My shoes, the brace I wear, that is bothering me. I’ve been thinking too much while I’ve been playing the last few games of the regular season and the first (playoff) game.”

Porter played 81 games last season, only missing a game in Sacramento where he didn’t have his special shoes. So the special gear he uses to play is pretty serious stuff for him and the Nuggets in maintaining his long-term health and his abilities on the court.

“The (brace) I’ve been in the last three years broke. I’ve been trying to get used to a new (brace,)” Porter said. “None of them seem to fit right, and it’s just affecting my movement. I’m not used to them. So I haven’t been as confident in my movements since that one broke.”

Porter popped up on the injury report in late March with a lower-back issue, a concern for all in Nuggets Nation. But he shared that it was actually a hamstring issue bothering him, that stems back to just about the All-Star Break. He shared at that time that he had been having some balance issues, but didn’t mention anything about his brace.

“It’s the worst time to deal with (a new brace,)” Porter said Monday.

Porter went scoreless on four shots in Game 1 after hitting a shot on Denver’s first possession of the playoffs. MPJ was benched in crunch time for Russell Westbrook as he helped spark a Nuggets win. Porter was much better in Game 2, not just on offense, where he scored 15 points. He was the best rebounder in that game. He also hit an important equalizing three late. His last play was most memorable, a bad turnover, which resulted in a Clippers lead they would not relinquish.

Game 3 against the Clippers is on Thursday, a battle for Porter in many ways for his past, current, and future health, given Los Angeles is who red-flagged his medicals coming out of college, his shoulder issue, and now whatever is going on with his new brace.