Shortly after a tough loss to the Clippers in Game 4, Denver Nuggets rookie Michael Porter Jr. expressed concerns over Denver’s game plan in a press conference. He told reporters, “We kept going to [Nikola Jokic] and [Jamal Murray]… To beat [the Clippers], we need to get more players involved.”
These words quickly stirred controversy from none other than all-star point guard Damian Lillard and several other players.
Porter Jr. scored 15 points in the loss, all of which came in the first half. He took a mere two shots after halftime. Meanwhile, Murray and Jokic bore most of the offensive load. That strategy worked well in Denver’s first-round series against the Utah Jazz but hasn’t been nearly as effective versus the stifling Clippers.
Many on Twitter agreed with Porter’s statement but disagreed with how he said it. Lillard, however, thought otherwise.
Lillard went a step further to suggest that it’s selfish to agree with Porter Jr.
Other current and former players chimed in on the topic as well. A fair share of the NBA community wasn’t too pleased with Porter Jr’s comments.
Whether or not Michael Porter Jr.’s controversial comments cause a void within the locker room remains to be seen. But either way, it’s not an ideal situation for the Nuggets to be in while on the brink of elimination. Down 3-1, they can’t afford any chemistry issues against a team of the Clippers’ caliber.
