Michael Malone Shared A Very Cool Moment With Michael Porter Jr. After Game 5

Michael Porter Jr. did not have the NBA Finals he envisioned, as the Nuggets sharpshooting wing went ice cold against the Miami Heat. Porter Jr. went 4-of-28 from three in the Finals, but in Game 5 he proved a pivotal piece in Denver’s series clinching win despite another rough night from distance (1-of-6).

Porter Jr. made his way inside in Game 5, scoring 16 points, pulling down 13 rebounds, and dishing out three assists, as he punished the smaller Heat on the boards and attacked downhill when he got the ball.

He was also engaged defensively, using his length to bother Miami’s shooters and doing his best to stay in front on drives and navigate screening action. It wasn’t the typical Porter Jr. performance, but it was indicative of how he’s bought in to his role in Denver and finding ways to do things beyond knocking down shots to help the Nuggets win. After the game, head coach Michael Malone made it a point to tell Porter Jr. how proud he was of him for doing just that, ensuring Porter Jr. knew how vital he was to this team winning the championship even if he had a rough shooting series.

“You helped us win a championship,” Malone says. “Think about that, and it’s not just that — people will focus on the Finals but the season you had this year…Offensively, defensively, caring, trying, all of that stuff Michael. So don’t like, ‘Ah, I didn’t make shots,’ we won the championship and you were a huge part of that and we’re gonna win another one. … And you sacrificed a ton, man, and I appreciate that.”

It’s a very cool moment and shows what so much of coaching is (and the part we often don’t see). Coaching is about building trust with your players and finding that balance between pushing them to be their best (or the version of their best that helps the team the most) and making sure you also give them praise. Malone knows Porter Jr. has the ability to be a much bigger figure on a team with a different makeup, but on this Nuggets team that has the best two-man offensive combo in the league in Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, Porter Jr. has to be a tertiary player. When he isn’t knocking down shots, it’s hard for him to feel like he’s doing his part, but Malone correctly points out that he stepped up in Game 5 to do the little things and complements him on his sacrifice all season for the good of the team.

When you win the title, it’s easier to look back and see it all as worth it, and Malone recognizes the importance of having Porter Jr. do that in the moment as they are celebrating their first championship. He also knows if they want to do it again, he’ll need Porter just as engaged on both ends (and hopefully finding his shooting rhythm), and is making sure his third star knows his importance to the team.