Michael Porter Jr. is the cornerstone of Jordi Fernandez's offense with the Nets

Cholo Martin Magsino

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Michael Porter Jr. is the cornerstone of Jordi Fernandez's offense with the Nets image

Before getting traded to the Brooklyn Nets, Michael Porter Jr. Was one of the most explosive third options in the league. He was mostly a spot-up and off-ball shooter, which was not what people were familiar with from his college and high school days.

Due to his back injuries, the Denver Nuggets were a bit wary of utilizing him. Of course, he played with Nikola Jokic, so most of the ball went to the three-time MVP. This meant Porter was cast as a third option, but now, he is in the featured role for the Nets. However, it is still not the way that people got to know him in college.

Fernandez's offense maximizes Porter's strengths

Before the season started, Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez knew he wanted to build the offense around Porter. In a team that has Porter and Cam Thomas, it is expected that there will be tons of isolation. Porter was excited before the season that he would get reps at creating shots for himself. 

He has had plenty of reps this season as a self-creator, but Fernandez has made him adapt to a more off-ball role. Of course, everyone knows that he is the number one option, so it would be best to diversify the offense because the Nets would have more dimensions to their system.

More: Michael Porter Jr. Gets honest about not meeting his own lofty career expectations

This season, Porter is averaging a career-high 25.9 points per game. That is the type of number that people expected him to score before he was drafted. Of course, the back injuries have played a role in his lesser role in Denver, but it appears that he has found his personal niche as a number-one option for Brooklyn.

"When he came in, I was like, 'Hey Mike, maybe I'll throw some isos for you.' And he was so excited. And then the season started, and I don't iso him. At the same time, he's very efficient with off-ball, movement, and cutting. He's also getting to the free-throw line... It just benefits others when you're not dribbling and handling the ball," Fernandez said before losing to the Clippers.

Moving forward, it appears that Fernandez will keep sticking to this type of offense. With Thomas back, there might be some optimization issues with the offense because there will be a lack of ball movement from time to time. However, Fernandez will keep using Porter as well as he can.

It will be a challenging rest of the season for the Nets, as they are fighting in the middle of the pack in the Eastern Conference. Porter is also heavily involved in trade rumors, which will affect the Nets. In the meantime, Fernandez is enjoying his star player performing well.

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Editorial Team