Former NBA executive predicts Nets’ Michael Porter Jr. to earn first All-Star selection

Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. has made a strong All-Star case during his first season as a No. 1 option. But will the 27-year-old’s breakout for a 12-34 Nets squad be enough to earn him his first NBA All-Star appearance?

A former front office executive says yes.

“Brooklyn stinks this year, but Porter? He does not,” The Athletic’s John Hollinger wrote while predicting Porter to make the team. “He’s expanded his game in his first season away from Denver, and his off-ball cutting, in particular, has been a massive weapon, even with the downgrade from “arguably the greatest passer of all time” to “worst point guard rotation in the league.” Porter is not just putting up empty calories on a bad team, either: Watch the tape, and you’ll see him screening and passing, defending credibly and generally doing what he can to drag an extremely raw and modestly talented roster to an occasional win.”

Porter has looked the part of a top offensive option following his trade from the Denver Nuggets to Brooklyn.

Will Michael Porter Jr. earn first All-Star nod amid breakout season with Nets?

The 6-foot-10 sharpshooter has averaged 25.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists on .482/.398/.851 shooting splits across 38 appearances. He’s one of five players averaging 25-plus points on over 48 percent shooting from the field and 38 percent from three, alongside Nikola Jokic, Anthony Edwards, Kevin Durant and Jamal Murray.

Porter set season-highs during his last two appearances, scoring 36 points during Brooklyn’s 106-102 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday and 38 points during a 107-103 loss to the Nuggets on Thursday.

The newest Net’s gaudy numbers have been far from empty calories. Brooklyn is 13.2 points worse per 100 possessions with Porter off the floor, the NBA’s fifth-highest mark among players who have played over 700 minutes, per CleaningTheGlass. Only Giannis Antetokounmpo (16.7), Lauri Markkanen (16.6), Jokic (16.1) and Pascal Siakam (15.0) are higher.

The Nets are 12-26 with Porter in the lineup. They’re 0-8 in games he’s missed with an average margin of defeat of 16.1 points.

Porter is on the East All-Star bubble alongside players such as Pascal Siakam, Karl-Anthony Towns, Norman Powell and Derrick White, amongst others. The NBA’s head coaches select the seven All-Star reserves from each conference, which will be announced Feb. 1.

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