The Denver Nuggets have been plagued by injuries this season, but recent reports indicate that one of the team’s two big missing pieces could be back to full health soon.
According to Mike Singer of the Denver Post, Michael Porter Jr. will head to the Nuggets G-League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold, to practice and scrimmage sometime this week.
Singer also reported that Porter recently underwent his first 1-on-1 contact drills since his initial injury.
Porter has been out for the Nuggets for most of the season since undergoing what was initially thought to be season-ending back surgery in November of 2021.
However, more recent reports from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski indicated that Porter and fellow superstar teammate Jamal Murray could both return to play for the Nuggets before the start of the playoffs, with Porter potentially coming back as early as mid-March.
Murray has been out since April of 2021 after suffering a torn ACL in a game against the Golden State Warriors.
Porter struggled to start the season before being removed from the team due to injury, averaging 9.9 points and 6.6 rebounds per game on 35.9% shooting and 20.8% shooting from three in the nine games he played in Denver this year. Those numbers are well below those he put up last season when he averaged 19.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game on 54.2% shooting and 44.5% shooting from distance.
Despite the absence of two of the Nuggets’ best players, Denver has had a strong season sitting sixth in the Western Conference with a record of 36-25.
