Nuggets coach Michael Malone leaned on the basket stanchion, watching carefully at the end of Tuesday’s practice as Michael Porter Jr. went through his first one-on-one contact work since his back surgery on Dec. 1.
Porter took offensive and defensive turns against Nuggets reserve Davon Reed, whose rangy defense marked the unofficial starting point for Porter’s return.
On one possession, Porter took Reed off the dribble and finished inside. On the next, he lined up and splashed a 3-pointer from the wing. By this point, Malone had shifted his vantage point to watch the proceedings from the corner. “It’s funny, man,” Malone said. “We had a practice last week, and just having him on the court. His shooting is just, like, effortless. It’s pretty. He’s got just a beautiful stroke.
“You got a 6-foot-10 guy that shoots it like that, and then you start to remind yourself, ‘Man, like, last year, before we had injuries to Jamal, we all felt we had a chance to win it,’” Malone continued. “Whenever we get those guys back, this year or next year, we feel the same way. We have a chance to win it when we get fully healthy.”
The plan is for Porter to practice with the Grand Rapids Gold in the near future, a league source said. Because the Nuggets practice so infrequently, Porter will have an easier time getting his legs under him and his wind back playing in scrimmages.