Michael Porter Jr. has said the right things about being a complete player for most of his time with the Denver Nuggets, and it looks like he’s increasingly starting to do the right thing.

There has never been a question about the second-year forward’s shooting and scoring ability, and it quickly became evident the 6-foot-10 former prep phenom would grab his fair share of rebounds in the NBA. But his defense, something that was criticized often and likely led to less playing time in his first postseason experience, and ability to make the right pass looked like parts of Porter’s game that could cap his potential.

“You know he can score. You know he can rebound,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said after Porter finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds in Denver’s win at Phoenix on Saturday. “The defense is improving, as is the playmaking.”

The numbers through six games — four before he missed three weeks due to the league’s COVID-19 guidelines and two since his return — back that up. Not only is Porter boasting improved averages of 1.2 blocks and 1.0 steals per game — he had one of each Saturday — he’s inching closer to two assists per game, another increase from last year. In Porter’s rookie year, opponents shot 47.6% when he was the primary defender, including a 63.3% mark inside of six feet. This year, his defensive assignments are shooting under 43% overall and 50% around the rim, per NBA.com.

“I just look at great scorers, and you know, guys that are really good at putting the ball in the hoop, but it never translates to winning championships or winning playoff series,” Porter said Saturday. “I’m not here to just put up stats. I’m here to win, and I’m also here to be one of the best players and be the best version of myself. With that, I know I’ve been given the capability to be an all-around player, and I don’t want to settle for just being one-dimensional, especially if my team needs me on more than just scoring. It’s just me trying to be my best self and be as good as I can be.”

While an increase in playing time from 16.4 minutes per game to 28.7 in his second season could account for some statistical increases, it would also suggest Porter’s turnovers would be on the rise. Instead, he’s still under one turnover per game and all of his shooting percentages are better than a year ago.

“I think I only took nine shots, but my flow feels fine,” Porter said after the Nuggets celebrated his return with consecutive overtime wins over the Suns. “You know, when it got to crunch time, we just try not to force anything. We play the right way and sometimes you’re going to have a lot of shots, some nights, you’re not.”

Porter’s nine field-goal attempts Saturday came a night after he attempted a season-low seven shots. While Malone and the Nuggets are counting on him to provide a scoring punch, they welcome his impact elsewhere.

“He wants to be an all-around player. He doesn’t want just to be a scorer. He doesn’t want to be just known as that. He wants to be a complete player. He wants to be a great player. He has a tremendous love and passion for the game. That’s probably the one thing I respect about Michael the most, he has a huge passion for the game of basketball,” Malone said.

“For him to be out as long as he’s been out and to come in and play the way he played tonight is a testament to him staying ready. We’re going to need him, obviously. He’s a big part of our present and a huge part of our future.”

While Monday’s game at Dallas will provide another hint at whether Will Barton will retain the starting spot at small forward, that doesn’t appear to be Porter’s biggest concern. He said the right things after beating the Suns and will look to do more of the right things against the Mavericks.

“I’m excited to be back, and every game is just building and just keep getting better and better,” Porter said.