It’s been a while since Michael Porter Jr. has played in an NBA game. The high-scoring forward for the Denver Nuggets last took the floor on Dec. 29, and in the 10 games the team has placed since then, he’s been stuck in the league’s Health and Safety Protocol due to contact tracing and, eventually, a bout with COVID-19.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Porter’s stint on the sideline is about to come to an end. Wojnarowski reports that the third-year man out of Missouri has gotten the all clear and is slated to suit up for Friday night’s game between the Nuggets and the Phoenix Suns.
Denver F Michael Porter Jr., will be active and play against the Phoenix Suns tonight, sources tell ESPN. He’s been out in Health and Safety protocol since Dec. 29. He’s averaged 19.5 points and 6.8 rebounds this season.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 22, 2021
Denver went 6-4 with Porter out of the lineup, and though he only appeared in four games before getting put on the shelf, he began to show some really positive steps in his development as a potential go-to option when the team needs a bucket. Porter so far this season has averaged 19.5 points in 29.3 minutes per game while connecting on 56.6 percent of his shots from the field and 42.3 percent of his triples. There is no word on whether Nuggets coach Michael Malone plans on easing Porter back into the rotation after dealing with the novel coronavirus or if he intends on letting him hit the ground running.
