Trae Young Believes Former First-Round Pick Could Have Been All-Star If Not For Injuries

The NBA is one of the hardest leagues to break into due to the athleticism and physicality that the majority of players have. It takes a special talent to not only make the NBA but to stay there for a prolonged period of time.

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There are plenty of players who are very good but aren’t quite at the level of being an All-Star talent. One of those is Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., who has seen his career go through major ups and downs.

Porter Jr. was projected to be a top pick in the 2018 NBA Draft but injuries derailed everything. He ended up falling to No. 14 overall, being taken by the Nuggets.

The forward’s career has gone fairly well so far, helping Denver win the NBA title in the 2022-23 NBA season. But could have it been even better, at least on an individual level?

Atlanta Hawks star guard Trae Young believes that it could have. He appeared on Paul George’s podcast, Podcast P with Paul George.

The two players discussed Porter Jr., with Young believing that his injuries have held him back from reaching his true potential.

“Yeah, I was at the practice that he hurt his back. I was with him a week ago and we still talk about that. The difference in his game, he would’ve been another PG. Like he’s so offensively skilled and he’s so smooth with his game and he was a really good defender in high school but he could have been even a better defender at this level. If his back wasn’t so stiff and he having screws and things messed up in his back. It’s just unfortunate.”

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Trae Young was there when Michael Porter Jr.’s back injury changed his career.

Special talent before it, and STILL a special talent now. Salute MPJ 🫡 pic.twitter.com/xolHDRUGTa

— Podcast P with Paul George (@PodcastPShow) August 15, 2024

Comparing Porter Jr. to George is fair, especially if he hadn’t gotten hurt. Porter Jr. does have a variety of offensive moves on the court and with his length, he is almost unguardable at times.

Last season with Denver, he averaged 16.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. Porter Jr. also shot 39.7 percent from beyond the 3-point line as well.

Injuries have wrecked the careers of many different players throughout history but thankfully, Porter Jr. was able to keep going. While he may not be at the All-Star level right now, he is still only 26 years old so there is plenty of time for him to continue growing his game.

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