Michael Malone read the box score without double-taking and laid out his expectation.
“Eight rebounds, 17 points, two blocks,” the Nuggets coach said after a 108-105 win over the Warriors on Wednesday night. “That should be the standard for Michael Porter. We shouldn’t be surprised by it. We should expect it every night.”
The more Malone is asked about increased maturity or defensive evolution for Michael Porter Jr., the more he doubles down on his belief that what spectators envision as Porter at his best should actually be Porter at his average. He has an individual net rating of plus-13 points per 100 possessions so far this season.