Though we are in the thicket of NBA trade season — with the Brooklyn Nets already dipping their toe in the water — Michael Porter Jr. just hopped on a podcast. And it went well. Exhale.
While back in Denver, MPJ hopped on an episode of The Old Man and the Three, which was released on Tuesday MPJ. The current host of the one-time JJ Redick venture? None other than the man Porter Jr. was traded for last summer, Cam Johnson. The two talked about the trade, of course, as well as their shared experiences in Brooklyn and Denver.
Porter Jr. has spent half of his brief Nets tenure deeply involved in trade rumors, and even if he survives Thursday’s trade deadline, he will again be involved in rumors this offseason (like Johnson before him). And yet, MPJ spends most of the episode praising the franchise’s direction and coaching staff. Talking to Johnson and co-host Tommy Alter, he reveals he arrived in Brooklyn with “more excitement than sadness,” but one aspect of the transition made him a little nervous.
“I knew at the end of the day, I could still play bad and we could still win a game,” said MPJ of his time in Denver. “And so I was a little anxious, but I was up for the challenge over there, and I think it took some adjusting to figure it out. It took a different approach to, you know, how I approach the weight room and how I approach conditioning. I’m still kind of figuring it all out a little bit because it’s a different amount of usage … but it’s a challenge that I was ready to explore.”
So far, Porter Jr. has been up to the task, becoming one of the NBA’s most efficient 25-a-night scorers as an undisputed #1 option. Despite a summer of making misogynistic comments on disreputable podcasts, MPJ has since endeared himself to Nets fans, thanks to both his sharp-shooting and the other side of that unfiltered honesty. When Porter Jr. talks hoops, he is always insightful, whether he’s explaining how to come off a pindown or what it’s like being on a rebuilding team.
“I have a certain level of like, peace and stillness because of the fact that I had seven years of winning basketball and I did get a championship. If I didn’t have that, I might be a little antsy with my agent, like, ‘Man, are they trying to win? Like, I need to go try to win, I want to be deep in playoffs.’ But because I had that for seven years, I’m a little bit more patient with the process over here.”
This whole segment (starting at around 14:20) is most worth listening to, but MPJ also adds: “I’m really back in that leadership role of, this almost feels like like high school. Like, these guys are fresh from college, 19 and 20 year olds, and we’re trying to compete against grown men every night. And we have a few vets over there, but for the most part, man, we’re trying to build the young guys. It’s fun, it’s fun, so I appreciate it. It’s definitely a challenge.”
Though Porter Jr. doesn’t go in-depth on the recent string of embarrassing, blowout losses the Nets have been suffering, he doesn’t sugarcoat the losing either. With another assist from Cam Johnson, he again goes above and beyond the typical non-answer of yeah, losing is tough but I trust the process and gives us hope that the player-podcast-era isn’t a total waste of time.
“Sometimes I need a check by the coaches, or even some of the front office that’s like, keeping my morale up. And then me, as an extension, I’m really trying to keep those guys heads up because it is a different journey that this team is on. And I think we’re on the right path to being a good team … In our locker room, we are pissed when we lose. But the next day, we have to figure out a way to to get our morale right back up, stay positive, realize that it’s about developing, getting better, going to practice with a good attitude.”
There’s much more in this segment, but it’s hard not to feel like Porter Jr. isn’t invested in Brooklyn’s long-term success. Of course, if the Nets do intend on making MPJ a part of their future, they’ll likely have to reach an extension this summer to keep the marriage happy.
Elsewhere, Johnson and MPJ praise Jordi Fernández as a “let it fly” type of coach.
Says Johnson: “For somebody like yourself who has the ability to be a tough shot-maker, he empowers you to use that ability to its full extent, 100 percent.”
“I give Jordi all the credit in the world,” adds MPJ. “I think in the NBA, you know, I’ve always been a guy that has confidence in myself, but with the way he coaches and the confidence he instills, he’s gonna help even those young guys develop at a way faster rate because of the freedom. Like you said, taking the pressure off of the shots you shoot. Like, Egor (Dëmin) was not touted as an amazing shooter, but he’s shooting 40% hitting really tough shots.”
The final half of the podcast is less Nets-centric, but CJ and MPJ don’t spend this one BS’ing or repeating what was your welcome to the NBA moment? clichés. We may be entering the final day of Porter Jr.’s stay in Brooklyn, but if it is, he says goodbye with one of the more insightful media appearances you’ll get from a Net. The full episode is linked below…
The NBA trade deadline is Thursday at 3:00 p.m. ET. The Brooklyn Nets have a game that evening as they visit the Orlando Magic, with tip-off set for 7:00 p.m. ET.
