Michael Porter Jr. has spent this month fighting his way through a funk partly of his own making.
The worst shooting slump he can remember has been about rhythm and rust. And maybe a little bit about mentality as well.
"It's the feel, the timing. My shot hasn't felt this off since I can remember. For the last four or five games, I've been off. But that's what happens when you're out of rhythm and you don't play for a while," Porter said beforeThursday's 126-110 loss to the Spurs.
"You can really lose your timing and your touch in two or three days of not playing. So not playing (in the last two games) pre-All-Star break, then not getting in the gym much during it, I'm paying the price for it."
And so had Brooklyn.
After missing games in Utah and Detroit while mourning the death of his grandmother, Porter hadn't been the same since returning. He sat the last two games before the All-Star break and admitted he didn't get into the gym as much as he should've.
He'd been as cold as this week's blizzard since, averaging 19.0 points and shooting just 10-of-55 from deep in his prior seven games.
He showed signs of his old form Thursday vs. San Antonio.
"I've got to get back in rhythm," said Porter. "Before the All-Star break I didn't play a couple games. And then I honestly didn't do much over the break. So I've got to get back in rhythm and play better."
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Porter started to shake off his malaise against San Antonio with 25 points and 14 rebounds, both team highs.
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It may be less about adjusting to defenses and more about adjusting to circumstances.
The mental issue may not be about mourning, but motivation. Porter had done nothing but win in Denver, where every night was high pressure.
This rebuilding thing is an adjustment.
"This is a new situation that I've been in," said Porter. "But no game is meaningless. It's all part of the journey. We're not just looking at this year. We're looking at the next one, two, three, four, five years. All these games matter for growth, continuity and chemistry. Sometimes it's hard to focus on that. But we've got to come in and work every day and realize it's a bigger picture.
"It's definitely a change. It's a learning curve and a learning experience for me. In the past, you're ramping up for the playoffs, trying to get guys healthy and get chemistry right. This situation is different. But it's a cool opportunity to grow and learn."
And to show he's a huge piece of that bigger picture, which should start to come into focus over the summer.
"We have a process and a plan in place. You cannot control everything but it's very exciting and everybody should feel the excitement of the next step," said head coach Jordi Fernández. "These last 25 games are very important. Then it's a big summer for everybody. I want to win every game, but playing these 25 to compete, and [then] how we structure the summer is the best thing, the biggest summer of our lives.
"So whatever it takes — understanding where your feet are and what you're asked to do, putting the team first — not yourself, but the team, and going out there to compete and get better. That's what we're demanding. We're demanding that from the vets, to lead by example, to go out and fight and compete. That's a must. So there are no excuses here; there's no feeling bad for yourself, no wasting 25 games. These 25 games are very important for everyone."
Porter was aggressive Thursday, perhaps too much. He had six turnovers, getting caught in the lane vs. Victor Wembanyama.
"Yeah, 22 shots is good. He disrupts so much. Maybe what I'd like to see is less than six turnovers," said Fernández. "Right there is maybe some of those is he just sees two bodies in front, he kicks it, he cuts, maybe he gets a layup [or] somebody gets a layup… [But] he was aggressive. He played well."
