Mizzou basketball fans rejoiced when they heard the news of Michael Porter Jr. being cleared to practice. Is MPJ rejoining the Tigers the best idea for the future NBA star?
When Michael Porter Jr. announced he’d be joining the Missouri Tigers about a year ago, it was exciting for MU fans! He was one of the best high school ball players in the country and it didn’t seem like Mizzou landed those talents all that often.
Porter played just two minutes for MU this season and has been out ever since. Now, however, it’s looking like he could play again, but the question that remains is… Should he? Of course Missouri fans WANT to see Porter take the court.
Heck, even just college basketball fans want to see the star freshman play more than just two minutes. What I’d be cautious of if I were Porter, however, is that the negatives outweigh the positives when it comes to getting back out there.
1) What about a re-injury?
Porter missed time due to a back injury, which has kept him sidelined all this time. What would happen if he were to take the court and re-injure his back? Would that have been worth it?
Some people wave that off, but it’s a possibility. Once someone gets injured once, it’s not uncommon at all for that same injury to recur again. This is definitely something that MPJ needs to keep in mind.
2) Draft Stock
As of now, Michael Porter Jr. is slated to be the third overall pick in the NBA Draft, according to NBADraft.net. In most other mock drafts, he’s almost always a top five pick. If Porter decides to sit the rest of the season out, he’s still going to be a high draft pick, even with just playing two minutes of college ball.
If he plays and maybe looks a little sluggish or struggles at times, that could ultimately hurt his draft stock. Obviously the kid is going to get drafted no matter what, but sometimes it’s all about the Benjamins, kids.
What about the reasons to play?
Those two reasons as to why Porter should consider NOT playing are pretty strong arguments I feel like. Even with those floating out there, however, Porter does have strong reasons why he should play.
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One being that his brother Jontay Porter left high school a year early just so that he could play with his brother. That’s a cool thing and something that neither might ever be able to do again. Porter could definitely consider returning to action so that he and his brother can play together. I think that’s a perfectly acceptable reason.
Another reason is that Porter grew up in Columbia and Mizzou is his hometown team. Every athlete dreams of playing for the team they grew up cheering for. Porter was thought to be the savior of Mizzou basketball before this season and he still has an opportunity to fulfill that role.
Lastly, basketball is fun! March Madness is fun! The Tigers haven’t been to the NCAA Tournament in several years and Michael Porter Jr. has the chance to play with his favorite team on the biggest stage in college hoops.
The Tigers have fared quite well without Michael Porter Jr and that should make him returning even more likely. Cuonzo Martin did a great job keeping this team motivated, as it would have been easy for the rest of the guys to quit without their star player.
Missouri has a chance to be a dangerous team in the NCAA Tournament with or without Michael Porter Jr. Will he decide to suit up at some point this season? Only time will tell I guess.