NEW YORK -- Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. experienced plenty of firsts during his initial season for the Nets after being acquired from the Denver Nuggets over the summer via trade. Brooklyn brought Porter into the fold so that he could be in a new role that he felt he couldn't achieve in Denver, but he also had to experience the other side of the rebuild.
"I've been in the playoffs every year that I've been in the NBA, so I think that not making the playoffs, it is tough, but I've been blessed to play that high-level basketball and that meaningful basketball going forward," Porter said during his exit interview. Porter went from being the third option behind Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray during his team with the Nuggets to assuming the primary scoring option for a rebuilding Nets squad.
"So I think going forward, helping these young guys understand how to win and want to be in the playoffs, telling them how different it is in the playoffs and giving them that motivation that we don't want to be in this position again," Porter continued. "This was a one-year thing, and hopefully by next year we're ready to compete at a high level and be a playoff team. I think that's the goal that everyone has in mind."
Porter, 27, had by far the best season of his career as he averaged 24.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game while shooting 46.3% from the field and 36.3% from three-point land. Despite his shooting percentages being below his career numbers, Porter still attained per-game career-highs in points and assists as head coach Jordi Fernandez tasked him with being a significant part of the offense.
Porter, who won a championship with the Nuggets during the 2022-23 season, missed the playoffs with the Nets this year for the first time in his eight-year career. While Porter has made it clear that he would like to be in Brooklyn for the long team, he also has had to deal with a first in his career that was hard to deal with, but he sounds like he's come to terms with it and is pushing for next season to be different.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets' Michael Porter Jr. speaks on missing playoffs for first time
