Michael Porter Jr. has likely faced and managed more back issues than any other player in the NBA.
However, with Porter sidelined again due to back trouble, the struggling Nets had a chance to evaluate their offense more closely.
It didn’t look great.
The undermanned Nets fell 115-103 to the 76ers in the NBA Cup, despite a full house of 17,809 fans at Barclays Center.
Without Cam Thomas, the Nets also missed Porter, who couldn’t play because of lower back tightness.
They can say what they want, but losing Porter, especially given his history, raises some serious concerns.
After seeing their performance on Friday, we’re understandably a bit uneasy.
The Nets managed to shoot just 40.5 percent, hitting only 13 of 43 from three-point range.
After falling behind 42-31 on a jumper from Terrence Mann, the Nets allowed a 12-2 run that gave the 76ers the advantage.
The Nets went through a six-minute stretch without scoring, from late in the second quarter until Mann finally got a basket just over two minutes into the third.
Egor Demin was a silver lining; the rookie notched a career-high 23 points, along with nine rebounds and five assists, contributing significantly in the fourth quarter when the Nets attempted a comeback.
Unfortunately, their inability to score while trailing by as much as 21 points was too much to overcome.
The offense appeared ineffective in Porter’s absence, and his participation in Saturday’s game against Milwaukee is uncertain.
“We’re not going to rush him back. His health is the priority,” Nets coach Jordi Fernandez mentioned before the game. “We’ll see how he feels and provide an update after.”
It’s worth noting Porter had been quite reliable, leading the Nets in both total and average minutes up until now.
He’s also been a key player for Denver for the past two seasons, which is even more impressive given his back problems.
After a herniated disc and a third back surgery in December 2021, Porter experienced damage to his peroneal nerve and needed a brace for what’s known as “foot drop.”
This week, he dealt with a back strain, an unfortunate twist in his injury saga.
His performance on Monday against the Knicks was arguably one of his toughest as a Net, finishing with 16 points, while struggling with his shot—making only 6-of-15 overall, and a poor 1-of-9 from three-point range.
Fernandez acknowledged the difficulties in that loss. “He felt cramped,” he stated, reflecting on their time together in Denver. “Michael is a player who has battled through so much, and it’s commendable.”
“He consistently wants to be there for his teammates. It’s a good thing; if he has a game where he struggles, he usually rebounds strong in the next one.”
Porter is currently averaging 24.3 points and 7.4 rebounds, marking career highs.
With Cam Thomas out due to a hamstring issue, Porter is central to the Nets’ offense, so his absence could be quite detrimental.
Nick Claxton commented: “It’s definitely tough without him. He contributes significantly, particularly offensively. He draws a lot of attention and can make shots. We’ll need to come together as a team.”
In the league’s only matchup featuring two teams with two wins, the Pacers (3-16) took down the Wizards (2-16).
This leaves the Nets (3-15) in fourth place in the lottery standings, now trailing Indiana and New Orleans, as the pick currently sits with Atlanta.
