Michael Porter Jr. hits four triples vs. Dallas

Porter helped Brooklyn get out of the gate quickly, but they were unable to hold off a late charge from Atlanta, falling to 2-7 overall on the year. He would’ve had an even bigger night from a scoring perspective had he not gone just 3-of-11 from three-point range. The nine boards are a nice bonus for fantasy managers since Porter has been a bit of a one-category standout during his Nets tenure. He’s gotten off to a strong start this season, averaging 21.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.4 blocks through nine games. They’ll close out the week with a road tilt against the Mavericks on Sunday before facing the Pelicans and Grizzlies next week.

Porter led the Nets with 26 points in the victory Wednesday. He’s scored at least 23 points in 5-of-8 games so far this season. Porter is still scoring at an impressive clip while playing alongside new teammate Julius Randle this year.

Porter shot 4-of-11 from three on Monday, but he was at his best during the third quarter. The Nets forward scored 13 of his 18 points in the period, and Brooklyn outscored New York 35-24. Unfortunately for fantasy managers and Nets fans, MPJ and the Nets went cold in the fourth, scoring just 11 points. The Nets return home on Wednesday to host the Hornets.

The Nets got their first win of the season on Sunday, and getting Porter involved early helped. The Nets forward scored seven points in the first quarter and 13 in the first half. After attempting nine shots in Friday’s loss to the Pistons, Porter nearly matched that number in the first quarter (seven). He’ll need to take a similar approach on Monday when the Nets begin a four-game week with a matchup with the Knicks.

It was a typical Michael Porter Jr game where he got you points, rebounds, and not much else. He has gotten you some good steal numbers to start the year, but it’s not likely that it’s going to stick. The Nets struggled to score in this game, especially in the third quarter. You would want more than 9 shot attempts but it was just a bad game for the Brooklyn.

Porter shot 6-of-12 from three on Tuesday, bouncing back from a 0-of-5 effort in Sunday’s loss to the Pacers. He’s made at least four three-pointers in three of Brooklyn’s first four games, and that output is one reason MPJ has been close to a top-25 player through the season’s first week. Another challenging matchup looms, however, as the Nets host the Pistons on Friday.

Even if the Nets are going to struggle again this season, Porter is certainly going to get his buckets. He’ll have a good chance to lead the Nets in scoring, even if Julius Randle is a threat to that title. He was a fantasy stud last season, but through two games, he has been even better by becoming a strong source of steals with seven so far this year. That pace won’t continue, but he may be able to hover around one per game like he did last season.

Porter averaged 1.1 steals last year, which was his career-high. He was active on defense Wednesday, recording three steals in the process. Porter poured in points on the offensive end as well, finishing with 26 points and five three-pointers. In his first game playing with Julius Randle, Porter showed that he can coexist with another high-level teammate. The two combined for 59 points in the first game of what should be a productive partnership.

While this is a classic MPJ stat line, Porter will continue to be one of the main focal points of the offense in Brooklyn. Julius Randle hasn’t supplanted Porter in the offensive hierarchy. If Porter continues to be healthy, he should be a very good contributor going forward.

Back in the lineup after sitting out Thursday’s exhibition win over the 76ers with a minor wrist injury, Porter looked sharp in the nation’s capital. His first season with the Nets went well individually, with MPJ providing solid middle-round value when available. If injuries aren’t an issue, Porter should produce similarly this season, especially with Julius Randle joining him to share the scoring workload.