Michael Porter Jr. won’t be available for the Denver Nuggets’ Wednesday duel against the Los Angeles Lakers due to lumbar management, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. This serves as the first official game he’ll miss for this 2022-23 season.
But as further added by Woj, there is an optimism that he’ll be good to go against the Utah Jazz on Friday.
The Nuggets appear to be looking to operate precautionary measures given Porter Jr.’s durability and long injury history. He only played nine games last season after taking a risky lumbar spine surgery, a third back procedure on his part since 2017.
Throughout four games, Porter Jr. is averaging 18.0 points, 5.8 boards, 1.2 assists in 51 percent shooting for 29 minutes. Possessing that uncanny scoring reputation at the wing, his long-term health will truly matter on Denver’s ongoing hunt for a title.
