When considering ladder plays, there are two main aspects that I look at. First, will the volume or opportunities be there for that player? Secondly, how often have they hit the base line or first rung? Michael Porter Jr. checks both of these boxes. He enters tonight’s road game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, averaging a team high 7.8 three point attempts per game, while shooting a scorching 48.9% from behind the arc. The volume is there and so are the results. Through six games, he has cleared the first rung (o2.5) five times and has cashed a full ladder (five threes) twice. This is the player that the Denver Nuggets have been waiting for, a finally healthy MPJ scoring at an elite level. Already one of the best catch and shoot weapons in the NBA, having the best passing big man in the league, Nikola Jokic, doesn’t hurt either.
The attention that Joker draws in the paint only benefits Porter Jr., generating numerous open looks from downtown. Standing 6-foot-ten, and possessing a deadly jumper, he presents a matchup nightmare for most teams. The Oklahoma City defense will be no exception, ranking in the top ten for three point field goals attempted against per game at 35.9. I look for Porter Jr. to take advantage of this matchup problem for OKC as we see how high up the ladder he can take us tonight.
