MPJ signs max deal with the Nuggets for up to 207 million.

[Kblaze8855]

Porter will hit that $207 million number if he makes one of the three All-NBA teams this season. Otherwise, he will get the five-year rookie max of $172 million.



I wish I could remember who it was that was so dead set on him never being anything after he had that slow start still dealing with the injuries. Not to mock them being wrong(precisely zero people get all those kinda calls right) but to ask what they could see in an injured 20 year old to be that dead sure they could never make it.

We almost need a universal rule to shut up about all these guys till they are like 25. Unrealistic I know and yes….the predictions are a lot of the fun. I’m not literally against hot take predictions I just….don’t know how people get so sure so fast about people with potentially 15 years of time to go. Darko was probably deep into his Orlando run before I was sure he’d never make it.

Some like Bennett are just lost from day one and maybe a Thabeet type you immediately see what guys like Harden, Evans, and Steph can do and assume it was a mistake…..but guys like MPJ?

Some knucklehead moments sure but he clearly had talent. He deserved a longer look than it felt like some gave him to start.

[Kblaze8855]

All that said….it sure doesn’t take much to be a max player. Accomplishment wise I mean. Not that a 200 million dollar deal is gonna be that shocking after this next rights deal which may bump the cap up to an insane degree again and usher in the 350 million dollar extension when guys like Luka and Trae are up again.

The new deal is rumored to be around 75 billion and the one that caused the historic spike that got role players the 100 million was only 24.

This next batch of deals will have middle America in an uproar. Real “I came back with some sicker stones that got these broke ****** looking at me like they choking on a chicken bone” action. You’re definitely gonna hear about the underpaid troops with this new rights deal.

[Real Men Wear Green]

I had nothing against him being drafted but I would have had a hard time handing him this deal. It will probably be "just" 172 mil (he isn't going to make the allnba leap this season) but that is superstar money and he isn't that. But on the flip side his agent did his job, he is very young and averaged close to 20. It feels like a bad deal but someone out there would hand him this money. And Denver is set in their roster so if their owner doesn't care about the money it's not a real problem... I'm definitely on the fence. If Denver wasn't ready to contend I wouldn't do it.

[Kblaze8855]

Their owner also owns the Rams, Arsenal, an nhl team, more land in America than the state of Rhode Island, and is married to the daughter of the founder of Walmart. I’m confident he doesn’t care.

[tontoz]

He got this deal not just on his production but also his upside. His ppg are suppressed a bit playing on a good team with other big time scorers.

His efficiency is elite and he has shown a high IQ. He doesn't make the dumb mistakes that are common with young players. His size, shooting ability and athleticism make him really valuable plus he can be very effective without dominating the ball.

[HBK_Kliq_2]

He seems like the low IQ version of Klay Thompson.

They are riding with that Murray\MPJ\Gordon\Jokic core. It has huge potential offensively but not sure if they will ever be good enough defensively to win a title, all below average defenders beside Gordon.

[Kblaze8855]

He got this deal not just on his production but also his upside. His ppg are suppressed a bit playing on a good team with other big time scorers.

His efficiency is elite and he has shown a high IQ. He doesn't make the dumb mistakes that are common with young players. His size, shooting ability and athleticism make him really valuable plus he can be very effective without dominating the ball.



While I don’t really disagree I can’t get them running to the 3 point line on a 4 on 1 break down 2 with 10 seconds to go out of my head. It’s like…the very moment basketball IQ perished to me.

[Real Men Wear Green]

He got this deal not just on his production but also his upside. His ppg are suppressed a bit playing on a good team with other big time scorers.

His efficiency is elite and he has shown a high IQ. He doesn't make the dumb mistakes that are common with young players. His size, shooting ability and athleticism make him really valuable plus he can be very effective without dominating the ball.
But he is also a bad defender and not a guy that takes games over with his offense. As you mentioned he's on a team where that is not his role and may not b for the length if his contract. He is a borderline All-Star that could do more but isn't likely to. Unless he becomes a dedicated defender he isn't going to be worth this deal. But someone was going to give him a huge contract and the owner has money to burn so it isn't a problem.

[tontoz]

While I don’t really disagree I can’t get them running to the 3 point line on a 4 on 1 break down 2 with 10 seconds to go out of my head. It’s like…the very moment basketball IQ perished to me.


:roll:

That is a league wide thing. A pet peeve too. It is like players don't realize that the highest efficiency shots are dunks/layups/foul shots.

Another thing I see a lot is down 1 last possession settling for a 3. :wtf:

A coach shouldn't have to explain this to players.

[tontoz]

But he is also a bad defender and not a guy that takes games over with his offense. As you mentioned he's on a team where that is not his role and may not b for the length if his contract. He is a borderline All-Star that could do more but isn't likely to. Unless he becomes a dedicated defender he isn't going to be worth this deal. But someone was going to give him a huge contract and the owner has money to burn so it isn't a problem.

He was a bad defender in his rookie year like a lot of guys. By the end of this season I would say he was close to average..

He has shown the ability to step up his scoring when other.guys are out. He averaged 24 ppg in April with Murray out. He averaged 22 in the bubble last year.

This was just his second season.

[NugzFan]

I’m glad the owners are getting ready to spend now that we are in a position to contend. Can’t lose mpj for nothing

[bladefd]

All that said….it sure doesn’t take much to be a max player. Accomplishment wise I mean. Not that a 200 million dollar deal is gonna be that shocking after this next rights deal which may bump the cap up to an insane degree again and usher in the 350 million dollar extension when guys like Luka and Trae are up again.

The new deal is rumored to be around 75 billion and the one that caused the historic spike that got role players the 100 million was only 24.

This next batch of deals will have middle America in an uproar. Real “I came back with some sicker stones that got these broke ****** looking at me like they choking on a chicken bone” action. You’re definitely gonna hear about the underpaid troops with this new rights deal.

As good as he is, he is not worth max money. It belittles the meaning of max money when everyone, not only superstars but also any star, is getting paid like that.


I understand the tv deals going up. The thing is why couldn't a piece of that money be used for something that improves the fan experience? ..Such as to bring down the cost of tickets. The ticket prices keep rising every year. At what point would you say enough? I don't see it worth it to go to basketball games anymore to have seats in the faaaaaar back. Better to just sit back relaxing at home and watch on tv.

Do they even provide full healthcare coverage for life for retired players? How about a monthly pension for life for retired players? Some of that money could also be used to improve their situations post-retirement. I don't know how it's already done, but there are a lot of things that could be done to improve the experience than simply pumping it all back into the pockets of owners/players.

[FultzNationRISE]

As good as he is, he is not worth max money. It belittles the meaning of max money when everyone, not only superstars but also any star, is getting paid like that.


I understand the tv deals going up. The thing is why couldn't a piece of that money be used for something that improves the fan experience? ..Such as to bring down the cost of tickets. The ticket prices keep rising every year. At what point would you say enough? I don't see it worth it to go to basketball games anymore to have seats in the faaaaaar back. Better to just sit back relaxing at home and watch on tv.

Do they even provide full healthcare coverage for life for retired players? How about a monthly pension for life for retired players? Some of that money could also be used to improve their situations post-retirement. I don't know how it's already done, but there are a lot of things that could be done to improve the experience than simply pumping it all back into the pockets of owners/players.

:roll: :roll: :roll:


Because fans dont have a union.

All fans are gonna do is suck establishment dick and keep watching sports ball.

Deal with it bitch.

[PP34Deuce]

MPJ is like a taller word defensive version of Jason Tatum.

Really young. Very good offensive player that if healthy can be a number 1b option.

[bladefd]

:roll:

That is a league wide thing. A pet peeve too. It is like players don't realize that the highest efficiency shots are dunks/layups/foul shots.

Another thing I see a lot is down 1 last possession settling for a 3. :wtf:

A coach shouldn't have to explain this to players.

The problem is over-reliance on analytics. Coaches teach to go for the open 3 to your best shooter that might average 50%+. I personally would absolutely go for the shot that is almost guaranteed to get me the 2pts, but what do I know.. :confusedshrug:

[FultzNationRISE]

MPJ is like a taller word defensive version of Jason Tatum.

Really young. Very good offensive player that if healthy can be a number 1b option.


Not on a team that wants to contend.

[tpols]

Coming off a playoff series where he averaged 15/5/1 on 38/37/70 in a sweep. Never even made an All Star game and gets 200 million dollars. :lol

NBA players have it good today. I hope Jokic leaves and joins Luka in Dallas.

[tpols]

And its absolutely blasphemous to compare this guy to Tatum. May as well compare Michael redd to Kobe.

[NBAGOAT]

Denver is going all in their 4 guys. Doesn’t seem good enough but they’re all young so we’ll see. Jokic will stay they’ll be a tax paying team and he’ll get the supermax.

Edit:
I hate the 3s at the end of game when down 1 too but I heard it’s due to guys taking shots they’re used to taking and not wanting to get doubled at the end of games. For the fastbreak stuff it looks bad but it might be fine analytically unless it’s 4 on 1(talking more 3 on 2, 5 on 3 situations). Giannis is one of the goats in transition right now and he only makes like 65% of his shots in transition and ofc barely takes any 3s.

[tontoz]

Bookmarked so I can bump in a year or two. I watched Denver a lot this year. This guy was going to get a max deal from someone for sure.

He is an elite shooter with length, athleticism and a high release that moves well without the ball. If not for his back injury he probably would have been a.top 3 pick.

[tpols]

Denver is going all in their 4 guys. Doesn’t seem good enough but they’re all young so we’ll see. Jokic will stay they’ll be a tax paying team and he’ll get the supermax

Yea they have no chance winning with Aaron Gordon and porter Jr on this contract. Porter is a decent player but simply way overvalued here.

[NBAGOAT]

Yea they have no chance winning with Aaron Gordon and porter Jr on this contract. Porter is a decent player but simply way overvalued here.

I think you’re a bit too harsh. Porter can get better and Gordon fits really well. Denver fans seriously think porter can get to all-nba level soon, basically a middle class KD. I’m not that high on him but he could score 25 next year while Murray’s out. They’re hoping Gordon becomes a poor mans draymond for them with his defense and versatility. His problem in Orlando was he’s a mediocre shooter and not a good isolation scorer. He won’t have to do that in Denver. just cut, be a secondary passer, and make some open shots

[tontoz]

Also the chance of making All-NBA in the west isn't great so his deal will probably 5 years 172 million. That might actually look reasonable after the NBA signs it's next TV deal.

[NBAGOAT]

Also the chance of making All-NBA in the west isn't great so his deal will probably 5 years 172 million. That might actually look reasonable after the NBA signs it's next TV deal.

For me you need to be all star caliber to be worth the 25% max and he’s not there yet. I think he’s worth closer to what Collins or jaylen got. Someone else would give him the max and he definitely has all star potential tbf

[tpols]

I think you’re a bit too harsh. Porter can get better and Gordon fits really well. Denver fans seriously think porter can get to all-nba level soon, basically a middle class KD. I’m not that high on him but he could score 25 next year while Murray’s out. They’re hoping Gordon becomes a poor mans draymond for them with his defense and versatility. His problem in Orlando was he’s a mediocre shooter and not a good isolation scorer. He won’t have to do that in Denver. just cut, be a secondary passer, and make some open shots

Porter averaged 17/6/1 in the playoffs on average efficiency. To put him in even the same stratosphere as Durant or Tatum is beyond delusional.

[NBAGOAT]

Porter averaged 17/6/1 in the playoffs on average efficiency. To put him in even the same stratosphere as Durant or Tatum is beyond delusional.

I can’t disagree Tatum is going end up clearly better. Porter doesn’t need to be as good as Tatum to be worth the rookie max imo.

[tontoz]

For me you need to be all star caliber to be worth the 25% max and he’s not there yet. I think he’s worth closer to what Collins or jaylen got. Someone else would give him the max and he definitely has all star potential tbf


This was just his second season and he averaged 19/7 with a TS of 66%. That is pretty rare for a 2nd year player.

In his 2nd season Tatum averaged 16 ppg with a TS of 55%.

[tontoz]

Porter averaged 17/6/1 in the playoffs on average efficiency. To put him in even the same stratosphere as Durant or Tatum is beyond delusional.


Since when is a 60% TS average?

Tatum has never gotten close to that in the regular season or playoffs.

[Xiao Yao You]

Gobert's deal gets better and better with each 200 million dollar deal

[NBAGOAT]

This was just his second season and he averaged 19/7 with a TS of 66%. That is pretty rare for a 2nd year player.

In his 2nd season Tatum averaged 16 ppg with a TS of 55%.

Well Tatum is a good defender and when he got his extension, he was putting up 23 on 57ts% and arguably the best player on a conference finals team.

[Sportal]

Bookmarked so I can bump in a year or two. I watched Denver a lot this year. This guy was going to get a max deal from someone for sure.

He is an elite shooter with length, athleticism and a high release that moves well without the ball. If not for his back injury he probably would have been a.top 3 pick.

He'd probably have been the #1 pick, and an all star already or would be pretty close... He gets picked above Bagley for sure. I think people legit thought this guy is the second coming of Durant? Maybe a little bit less... But a little bit less than Durant is at least what, a 7 time all star, MVP talk, kinda player...

[FultzNationRISE]

This was just his second season and he averaged 19/7 with a TS of 66%. That is pretty rare for a 2nd year player.

In his 2nd season Tatum averaged 16 ppg with a TS of 55%.

He’s in a pretty ideal situation in Denver with a lot of guys who move the ball and facilitate the offense, and allow him to just focus on doing what he does best.

I dont see him as a guy who would LEAD an offense on a successful team. The Klay comparisons make sense to me, an elite offensive finisher but not an “everything starts with him” guy on a team that matters. Usually you expect a first option type to be able to create as well as finish at a high level.

He fits great with Denver’s specific core, and I guess thats why they dont mind spending big bucks to keep him. But for most other teams, maxing him as a guy to “build around” would be a mistake IMO.

Ofc who knows, maybe in a few years he ends up a BITW candidate. At the moment I cant picture it.

[FireDavidKahn]

Players on rookie deals get paid based on talent and how quickly they are improving and whether they are on an upward/downward trend.

Porter's contract is fine.

[iamgine]

:roll:

That is a league wide thing. A pet peeve too. It is like players don't realize that the highest efficiency shots are dunks/layups/foul shots.

Another thing I see a lot is down 1 last possession settling for a 3. :wtf:

A coach shouldn't have to explain this to players.
Players nowadays are comfortable taking a 3. They shoot 90%+ in practice. Rather than bringing it into the hole where we all know refs often swallow their whistle. It's a viable shot.

[TheGoatest]

Compared to the Nuggets' Aaron Gordon contract, this one is a masterpiece.

[tontoz]

He’s in a pretty ideal situation in Denver with a lot of guys who move the ball and facilitate the offense, and allow him to just focus on doing what he does best.

I dont see him as a guy who would LEAD an offense on a successful team. The Klay comparisons make sense to me, an elite offensive finisher but not an “everything starts with him” guy on a team that matters. Usually you expect a first option type to be able to create as well as finish at a high level.

He fits great with Denver’s specific core, and I guess thats why they dont mind spending big bucks to keep him. But for most other teams, maxing him as a guy to “build around” would be a mistake IMO.

Ofc who knows, maybe in a few years he ends up a BITW candidate. At the moment I cant picture it.


Klay has never had over 60% TS season in his career. Porter had 66% in his 2nd season.

In April (16 games Murray out) he averaged 24 ppg with a 67% TS. Denver actually moved up the standings without their starting backcourt.

He isnt the defender Klay is but offensively his ceiling is way higher.

[RRR3]

Klay has never had a 60% TS season in his career. Porter had 66% in his 2nd season.

In April (16 games Murray out) he averaged 24 ppg with a 67% TS. Denver actually moved up the standings without their starting backcourt.

He isnt the defender Klay is but offensively his ceiling is way higher.
He was compared to Durant for a reason.

[tontoz]

He was compared to Durant for a reason.

Yeah he certainly looked the part scoring 90 pts in 3 straight games in the bubble.

Denver is a contender so they have been bringing him along slowly. He will be the clear 2nd option with Murray out to start the season. Gordon is primarily an off ball player that won't get a lot of touches.

I expect MPJ to get more touches to start the season. The only question mark i have with him is ball handling. I haven't seen enough to say whether he can consistently create his own shot off the dribble.

[imdaman99]

He was compared to Durant for a reason.

He compared himself to KD, I dunno how many others did.

He got paid on his potential. He's getting better and better every year. Do I think he's worth that? No, but it's not that ridiculous in the current NBA.

[Manny98]

Gobert's deal gets better and better with each 200 million dollar deal
Porter has a WAY higher ceiling than Toody can dream of

[Xiao Yao You]

Yeah he certainly looked the part scoring 90 pts in 3 straight games in the bubble.

Denver is a contender so they have been bringing him along slowly. He will be the clear 2nd option with Murray out to start the season. Gordon is primarily an off ball player that won't get a lot of touches.

I expect MPJ to get more touches to start the season. The only question mark i have with him is ball handling. I haven't seen enough to say whether he can consistently create his own shot off the dribble.

his horrible D got him benched in the bubble too

[Xiao Yao You]

Porter has a WAY higher ceiling than Toody can dream of

maybe but Gobert has carried a franchise for almost 7 years. Porter is the 3rd best player on his team

[NugzFan]

Coming off a playoff series where he averaged 15/5/1 on 38/37/70 in a sweep. Never even made an All Star game and gets 200 million dollars. :lol

NBA players have it good today. I hope Jokic leaves and joins Luka in Dallas.


To be fair he was hurt in that series

[NugzFan]

Denver is going all in their 4 guys. Doesn’t seem good enough but they’re all young so we’ll see. Jokic will stay they’ll be a tax paying team and he’ll get the supermax.


Fair enough but what was their alternative?

[NugzFan]

Gobert's deal gets better and better with each 200 million dollar deal


You can’t compare deals like that. The next deals will always be higher.

[warriorfan]

His performance hasn’t deserved it so far obviously but he has a lot of upside. It’s a bit of a risk but it’s better to take it then let him walk for nothing

[tontoz]

There will be a new TV deal after the 2nd season of his contract. If the cap goes up a lot, and he continues to improve, he could have a reasonable contract when he is in his prime.

[fsvr54]

No way Tatum will be better than MPJ in the long run.

[Real Men Wear Green]

No way Tatum will be better than MPJ in the long run.
Tatum is better now they're the same age and Tatum has never had a major injury.

[fsvr54]

Tatum is better now they're the same age and Tatum has never had a major injury.

Tatum doesn't pass the eye test when I watch him, never been impressed. But time will tell.

[tontoz]

Tatum is clearly a better defender. He isn't the shooter MPJ is though. It remains to be seen who ends up being better on offense.

Tatum has played 4 years, MPJ 2.

[Vino24]

Tatum doesn't pass the eye test when I watch him, never been impressed. But time will tell.

Are you fvcking blind?

[Manny98]

maybe but Gobert has carried a franchise for almost 7 years. Porter is the 3rd best player on his team
No he hasn't

Mitchell has clearly been Utah's best player for the past two post seasons for starters

[Real Men Wear Green]

Tatum doesn't pass the eye test when I watch him, never been impressed. But time will tell.

If the guy can score 50 to put his team in the playoffs and then match KD in a playoff series. If what he did isn't good enough to impress you I don't see what Porter possibly could have done that is better.

[Real Men Wear Green]

Tatum is clearly a better defender. He isn't the shooter MPJ is though. It remains to be seen who ends up being better on offense.

Tatum has played 4 years, MPJ 2.

It's hard to quantify who is truly the better shooter when they are defended so differently. Rookie Tatum shot his best percentage from three (43%). With better defenders in him, more focus from the defense on him and creating more of the shots off the dribble that has gone lower but 38 is still a good number and he hit a higher percentage of his free throws than Porter. Tatum is himself an excellent shooter so if Porter has an edge there it isn't large. He certainly doesn't have to take as many tough shots as Tatum does.

[tontoz]

It's hard to quantify who is truly the better shooter when they are defended so differently. Rookie Tatum shot his best percentage from three (43%). With better defenders in him, more focus from the defense on him and creating more of the shots off the dribble that has gone lower but 38 is still a good number and he hit a higher percentage of his free throws than Porter. Tatum is himself an excellent shooter so if Porter has an edge there it isn't large. He certainly doesn't have to take as many tough shots as Tatum does.

2nd year Tatum averaged 16 with a TS of 55%. That is pretty far from MPJs 19 ppg with 66% TS.

The gap in 2pt% is huge. MPJ is shooting 60% on 2s.

But ultimately time will tell.

[Vino24]

MPJ is a 3rd option lol not comparable

[Real Men Wear Green]

2nd year Tatum averaged 16 with a TS of 55%. That is pretty far from MPJs 19 ppg with 66% TS.

The gap in 2pt% is huge. MPJ is shooting 60% on 2s.

But ultimately time will tell.

Does every player that averages 16 in his second year average 26 in his fourth? It isn't relevant. I don't know what current Tatum would shoot on twos if he was a third option but their situations are too different to say that the numbers tell the story. Would it be fair to act like what Porter did in the playoffs with Murray show he can't handle the increased attention?

[tontoz]

Does every player that averages 16 in his second year average 26 in his fourth? It isn't relevant. I don't know what current Tatum would shoot on twos if he was a third option but their situations are too different to say that the numbers tell the story. Would it be fair to act like what Porter did in the playoffs with Murray show he can't handle the increased attention?

He was hurt against the Suns in the playoffs.

He handled the increased attention in 16 games in April averaging 24 ppg with a 67% TS.

The Nuggets moved up the standings in the west without their starting backcourt.

[Real Men Wear Green]

He was hurt against the Suns in the playoffs.

He handled the increased attention in 16 games in April averaging 24 ppg with a 67% TS.

The Nuggets moved up the standings in the west without their starting backcourt.

Him being hurt in the past is part of why Tatum is the better asset. Tatum has never had a major injury while Porter had the issue that damaged his draft stock and caused him to miss a s season in the NBA after having his college career ended. Besides every player enters the postseason with nagging injuries. Another reason Tatum is more valuable is that he has shown he can play the whole season and still carry his team in the playoffs. Porter has to be able to carry the load to be more valuable than Tatum.

[tontoz]

Him being hurt in the past is part of why Tatum is the better asset. Tatum has never had a major injury while Porter had the issue that damaged his draft stock and caused him to miss a s season in the NBA after having his college career ended. Besides every player enters the postseason with nagging injuries. Another reason Tatum is more valuable is that he has shown he can play the whole season and still carry his team in the playoffs. Porter has to be able to carry the load to be more valuable than Tatum.



I am not the one who brought up Tatums name and i am not arguing who will be the better player overall.

My point is that MPJ may end up being better offensively. It is very rare to see a 2nd year player average 19 with a 66% TS.

Per 36 minutes he averaged 22.

[Xiao Yao You]

You can’t compare deals like that. The next deals will always be higher.

which is why it was a great deal and will look better and better

[Xiao Yao You]

No he hasn't

Mitchell has clearly been Utah's best player for the past two post seasons for starters

clear to a troll, sure. Gobert and Conley were their best players last year. They won with Mitchell and Conley out. They've never won without Gobert/ Be a lottery team without Gobert

[Vino24]

clear to a troll, sure. Gobert and Conley were their best players last year. They won with Mitchell and Conley out. They've never won without Gobert/ Be a lottery team without Gobert

The window closed last year. Conley is just getting to old to keep it up

[Manny98]

clear to a troll, sure. Gobert and Conley were their best players last year. They won with Mitchell and Conley out. They've never won without Gobert/ Be a lottery team without Gobert
Dude was LITERALLY a liability on defense vs the Jazz


https://youtu.be/RDo4C43kt1s

[Xiao Yao You]

The window closed last year. Conley is just getting to old to keep it up

coming off arguably his best year :facepalm

[Xiao Yao You]

Dude was LITERALLY a liability on defense vs the Jazz


https://youtu.be/RDo4C43kt1s

3 time DPOTY! :lol

[Manny98]

3 time DPOTY! :lol
In the regular season yes

Turns into French Bargnani in the playoffs

[ralph_i_el]

From what I've seen, he has a good chance of living up to this deal. He's not necessarily a shot creator, but he is so easy to create a shot for, with his range, high release, and ability to cut and post up. He's just such a weapon. The exact type of guy to match up with savvy guys like Jokic and Murray.

[NugzFan]

which is why it was a great deal and will look better and better


Flawed logic. If that’s the case every deal will get better and better

[DCL]

does he know how to pass the ball?

[Xiao Yao You]

Flawed logic. If that’s the case every deal will get better and better

not really. Clarkson's gets worse and worse every day he's paid.

[GOBB]

This is no different than Ben Simmons getting the max. I tell people all the time this is the norm. Max deals aren’t reserved for the leagues best player all the time. It’s reserved for “potential”, “upside” and quite frankly? It’s based on we can’t lose this guy because our team isn’t a hot spot for players you fans feel are deserving of a max contract. This deal is par for the course. Denver is dependent on players in the draft for them being successful. It sure isn’t coming from landing a stud in free agency. They aren’t at the top of those lists.

[NugzFan]

not really. Clarkson's gets worse and worse every day he's paid.


Your logic is still wrong

[NBAGOAT]

Fair enough but what was their alternative?

There was none. You just hope to save a bit of money off of porter and Gordon’s deals to be able to make an extra depth move. The jazz traded favors and had to attach a pick for example to not pay as much for the luxury tax. If gobert made only 30% of the cap, maybe they would’ve been less inclined to do that. Nuggets would obviously prefer not to do that either but the repeater tax especially can get pricy

[Xiao Yao You]

There was none. You just hope to save a bit of money off of porter and Gordon’s deals to be able to make an extra depth move. The jazz traded favors and had to attach a pick for example to not pay as much for the luxury tax. If gobert made only 30% of the cap, maybe they would’ve been less inclined to do that. Nuggets would obviously prefer not to do that either but the repeater tax especially can get pricy

Jazz traded Favors because he sucked. They have a huge tax bill still. Hopefully Clarkson is next!

[wagexslave]

Hefty reward for getting swept in the playoffs don't you think? I wasn't THAT impressed by him, he's good but not worth all that yet IMO. And that's not even taking into account durability concerns.

But at the same time I get it, he has all of the leverage... the Nugs simply can't afford to lose him. So if you're a Nugs fan you just gotta hope he continues to develop.

[tontoz]

Hefty reward for getting swept in the playoffs don't you think? I wasn't THAT impressed by him, he's good but not worth all that yet IMO. And that's not even taking into account durability concerns.

But at the same time I get it, he has all of the leverage... the Nugs simply can't afford to lose him. So if you're a Nugs fan you just gotta hope he continues to develop.



They did beat Portland without their starting backcourt.

[j3lademaster]

I wish I could remember who it was that was so dead set on him never being anything after he had that slow start still dealing with the injuries. Not to mock them being wrong(precisely zero people get all those kinda calls right) but to ask what they could see in an injured 20 year old to be that dead sure they could never make it.I feel equally silly telling my friends he was going to be the steal of the draft. Whenever Luka or Trae have a crazy game I still hear about it from them.

[NBAGOAT]

Jazz traded Favors because he sucked. They have a huge tax bill still. Hopefully Clarkson is next!

I still rather have him over whiteside but whiteside is much cheaper

[tontoz]

I feel equally silly telling my friends he was going to be the steal of the draft. Whenever Luka or Trae have a crazy game I still hear about it from them.


To be fair MPJ was drafted 14th.

Tell your friends that top 5 picks aren't usually seen as steals.

[j3lademaster]

To be fair MPJ was drafted 14th.

Tell your friends that top 5 picks aren't usually seen as steals.Nah man, I gotta take this one on the chin. I actually did say Porter was going to end up being the best player in the draft lol.

[tontoz]

Nah man, I gotta take this one on the chin. I actually did say Porter was going to end up being the best player in the draft lol.

LOL whoops

[BurningHammer]

Incoming post-max-deal slump for MPJ.

[wagexslave]

They did beat Portland without their starting backcourt.

True but they still had Joker/MPJ/Gordon and couldn't get 1 win off Phoenix who many people claim was only even there because of injuries and nowhere near as good as their record/Finals appearance(obviously I'm not one of those people since I'm a Suns fan, but I'm not ignorant to the fact that health is a factor including against the Nugs).

He did drop 15.3/5.5/1/1 but on 38% shooting and I felt like he just wasn't as big of a factor as I was expecting going into that series. I originally picked that series to go 7 games, so I was pretty surprised when MPJ was struggling a bit and they didn't manage to steal a win from us especially in game 3/4 where I didn't feel like the Suns played their hardest... felt like they coasted in the first half and waited until the 2nd half to turn it on and just blew past the Nugs.

But it's only 1 series so I guess I'm probably putting too much weight into it and skewing my opinion of him. Especially since one of the Suns biggest strengths are their defensive wings who weren't making it easy on him. Admittedly I didn't watch DEN vs POR so that's on me, if he played great in that series then my bad but Portland's defense wasn't exactly making it hard on him. But I shouldn't judge anyways, I expect the Suns to have to give Bridges a pretty big contract after not being quite as big of a factor throughout the whole playoffs as I have hoped.

[tontoz]

MPJ got hurt against the Suns. Plus the games weren't competitive. Hard to win in the 2nd round with a starting backcourt of Compazzo/Rivers.

He dropped 26 in games 5&6 against Portland.

[90sgoat]

Denver is like Mavs.

Both led by talented white guys, both overpaying for mediocre black guys.

[NBAGOAT]

Denver is like Mavs.

Both led by talented white guys, both overpaying for mediocre black guys.

Who’s the black guy Mavs are overpaying. Mavs biggest problem is overpaying porzingis expecting all star caliber play from him when he’s one of the worst 2nd guys on a playoff team now

[Xiao Yao You]

I still rather have him over whiteside but whiteside is much cheaper

yep. Will be easy to move on from Whiteside if he sucks or Udoka shows he's ready

[NBAGOAT]

yep. Will be easy to move on from Whiteside if he sucks or Udoka shows he's ready

If you trade whiteside, who’s going be backup center? Can’t bank on a young guy like udoka too much. Keep in mind with way gobert plays and since he’s getting a little old for a rim protector at 29 with all those years of money left, he’s not going be a 35mpg guy. Backup center is pretty important unless Jazz decide to go with a lot of small ball this year and play paschall or Rudy at the 5

[Xiao Yao You]

If you trade whiteside, who’s going be backup center? Can’t bank on a young guy like udoka too much. Keep in mind with way gobert plays and since he’s getting a little old for a rim protector at 29 with all those years of money left, he’s not going be a 35mpg guy. Backup center is pretty important unless Jazz decide to go with a lot of small ball this year and play paschall or Rudy at the 5

Ideally Udoka develops enough in the gleague to take over by the trade deadline. Gobert just had his best season so it's a little early to say he's getting old. Doubt they're going small much. Same COTY

[NugzFan]

Hefty reward for getting swept in the playoffs don't you think? I wasn't THAT impressed by him, he's good but not worth all that yet IMO. And that's not even taking into account durability concerns.

But at the same time I get it, he has all of the leverage... the Nugs simply can't afford to lose him. So if you're a Nugs fan you just gotta hope he continues to develop.


Getting swept was irrelevant. The nuggets weren’t close to full strength and mpj himself wasn’t 100%. The nuggets know that result wasn’t indicative of how good they can be

[NugzFan]

I feel equally silly telling my friends he was going to be the steal of the draft. Whenever Luka or Trae have a crazy game I still hear about it from them.


I mean, it’s not that crazy. He’s one of the steals considering he was picked at 14

[NugzFan]

True but they still had Joker/MPJ/Gordon and couldn't get 1 win off Phoenix who many people claim was only even there because of injuries and nowhere near as good as their record/Finals appearance(obviously I'm not one of those people since I'm a Suns fan, but I'm not ignorant to the fact that health is a factor including against the Nugs).

why should they even get one win? they were decimated by injuries. it wasnt just murray. plus mpj was hurt in that series too. injuries were a huge factor in the series.

it would have been like if denver was 100% healthy and phoenix didnt have booker, crowder and payne. no contest.


He did drop 15.3/5.5/1/1 but on 38% shooting and I felt like he just wasn't as big of a factor as I was expecting going into that series. I originally picked that series to go 7 games, so I was pretty surprised when MPJ was struggling a bit and they didn't manage to steal a win from us especially in game 3/4 where I didn't feel like the Suns played their hardest... felt like they coasted in the first half and waited until the 2nd half to turn it on and just blew past the Nugs.

the suns didnt have to play their hardest. they went up against jokic and some g leaguers/undrafted guys.

[NugzFan]

Who’s the black guy Mavs are overpaying. Mavs biggest problem is overpaying porzingis expecting all star caliber play from him when he’s one of the worst 2nd guys on a playoff team now

I guess he means THJ? but not sure I agree. he doesnt sound very smart anyways

[wagexslave]

Getting swept was irrelevant. The nuggets weren’t close to full strength and mpj himself wasn’t 100%. The nuggets know that result wasn’t indicative of how good they can be

You're only reinforcing my concerns about his durability. I don't have anything against him or the Nugs though. Hopefully he stays healthy.

[NBAGOAT]

I guess he means THJ? but not sure I agree. he doesnt sound very smart anyways

He’s often race baiting. Also would disagree hardaway is worth it

[Sulico]

Nuggets are still 1 terrible contract away from the ring.

They traded away Gary Harris terrible contract and even got some value out of it. If they could do the same with Jamal Murray terrible contract they would be favourites to win it all.

[ralph_i_el]

Nuggets are still 1 terrible contract away from the ring.

They traded away Gary Harris terrible contract and even got some value out of it. If they could do the same with Jamal Murray terrible contract they would be favourites to win it all.

lolwtf? Murray brings the ability to create and hit tough jumpers at a high rate, which is extremely valuable in the playoffs. Plus his two man game with Jokic is amazing. They would have had a good shot at a ring last year if he was healthy.

[NugzFan]

Nuggets are still 1 terrible contract away from the ring.

They traded away Gary Harris terrible contract and even got some value out of it. If they could do the same with Jamal Murray terrible contract they would be favourites to win it all.

wait, what? jamal murrays contract is "terrible"?

[Kblaze8855]

He’s having one of the many rough starts this year. 10ppg on 36 percent shooting. And then this:

https://thumbs.gfycat.com/PlaintiveCourageousBorderterrier-size_restricted.gif







Early in the first quarter, with Denver out to a 6-0 lead, Porter collected a loose ball near midcourt and dribbled down the court, with teammate Will Barton racing toward the hoop ahead of him his right flank, and guard Monte Morris filling a passing lane to MPJ’s left.
It was a three-on-zero fastbreak. Impossible for a middle-school squad to mess up. But instead of dropping an easy dime, MPJ found a way to trip over himself. He took off for a shot in the lane, and upon lift-off, looked uncertain whether he wanted to dunk the ball or flip it gently off the glass.

What happened?
“I turned my head, thinking he had dunked the basketball,” Barton said. “I turned back and the ball was off the rim.”
Porter botched the shot, which bounced once, twice off the rim and landed on the floor with the ugly splat of a wet spill before the rebound was collected by Houston center Daniel Theis. MPJ dropped his head in shame. Malone said it was bad karma for not making the pass to Barton. After putting in seven 7 minutes of work in the first quarter, he retired to the Denver locker room and did not return to the game.

[tpols]

I can't believe people were comparing this guy to Tatum. :facepalm

[tpols]

No way Tatum will be better than MPJ in the long run.

:roll:

People were legit saying this.

[fsvr54]

"Long run" meaning more years and HEALTHY MPJ

[Druckenmiller]

He’s having one of the many rough starts this year. 10ppg on 36 percent shooting. And then this:

https://thumbs.gfycat.com/PlaintiveCourageousBorderterrier-size_restricted.gif

At least he hustled back on defense. Dude is a Worker. Especially on defense where he can be counted on to be tough and physical.

The Nuggets would have gotten more out of $200 million if they spent $200 million at a Denver dispensary.