Nuggets' Michael Porter Jr. Says 'It's Hard to Stay Patient' Amid Strong Play

Michael Porter Jr. is emerging as a key player for the Denver Nuggets, but the 21-year-old is eager to play an even bigger role for his team. 

Per the Associated Press, Porter is doing his best to remain understanding of how head coach Michael Malone is using him off the bench right now. 

"Coach is doing the right thing bringing me along slowly," he said. "But, yeah, it's hard to stay patient."

The Nuggets bet on Porter's potential in the 2018 draft, selecting him with the No. 14 overall pick despite health concerns. He only played three games at the University of Missouri in 2017-18 because of a back injury that required surgery. 

One month after the draft, the Nuggets announced Porter had a procedure on his lumbar spine, but they weren't planning to sit him out for the entire 2018-19 season. The Missouri native wound up not playing last season as he recovered from the surgery. 

After sitting out the first four games this season, Porter has been used as Denver's sixth man off the bench. The 21-year-old has steadily seen an increase in playing time, averaging 18.6 minutes per game since Dec. 28. He's averaging 11.4 points per game on a 65.4 shooting percentage and 48.1 three-point percentage in that time. 

If Porter can reach his full potential, the Nuggets have the upside of a championship team in the Western Conference. They won 54 games last season without him and are currently the No. 2 seed in the west with a 29-12 record.