Denver Gazette beat writer Vinny Benedetto takes you around the NBA and inside the Nuggets locker room:

NBA Insider

There’s been a lot of moving pieces around Michael Porter Jr., but the 26-year-old has found a way to go with the flow.

After starting the season in a shooting slump, making just 4 of his first 20 attempts from 3-point range, Porter’s become one of the Nuggets’ steadiest scorers despite little consistency around him. He’s the only player who’s started Denver’s first 31 games, and he’s scored in double figures 29 times.

Heading into 2025, Porter’s averaging 18.7 points, while shooting 52% from the field and 41% from 3-point range. He’s second on the team with 6.6 rebounds per game and is on pace to set a career high with 2.7 assists per game, while dealing with varying roles. Aaron Gordon and Jamal Murray’s respective injuries have limited the regular starting five’s minutes together, and Porter has also staggered some with the bench.

“I don’t know if that changes my role much, because Aaron is such a selfless player. He plays off of people. He helps get people involved. He’s looking for me at all times, similar to Russ (Westbrook),” Porter said Saturday.

“Compared to when Jamal’s out, it might be a little different. I might have to take a few more shots and be a little bit more aggressive.”

Porter previously acknowledged his name has come up in trade rumors for the likes of Zach LaVine and Jimmy Butler, but that hasn’t impacted his play. In Saturday’s win over the Pistons, Porter (26), Murray (34) and Jokic (37) combined for 97 points, the most that trio has ever put up in a game.

“We know every game is different,” Porter said. “Tonight, Jamal had it going. Joker did what he always does. Then, I had it going a little bit as well, so it was a good night. It just depends how defenses play us where the shots will be, but it was definitely a good night offensively for us three.”

Denver’s sharpshooting forward acknowledged he was a bit sore after Monday’s win in Utah, but he still managed to score 21 points on 18 shots, grab six rebounds and dish out a couple of assists without a turnover in 35 minutes of playing time.

“I definitely wasn’t feeling amazing, but I had to get out there for my team and do what I could do,” Porter said. “I missed some easy ones around the rim that I should’ve made, but I think it was a decent game.”

On a team that’s taking fewer 3-pointers than any other in the league, Porter plays an important role when it comes to keeping opposing defenses honest. He’s doing an impressive job of that despite some early misses, an ever-changing rotation around him and the distraction that comes with trade talks.

“When you’re playing on a good team with a lot of good players, you definitely got to do what’s for the best of the team. I’m OK with that, and I’ve been OK with that,” Porter said. “I just really want to win and play a part in that.”

What I’m Thinking

Michael Malone has a good New Year’s resolution for his team.

In 2025, the Nuggets’ coach would like to see his team run back in transition with the same pace they run with on fast breaks.

“There’s no points when you run back in transition defense. There’s a carrot in front of you in transition offense,” Malone said after Saturday’s win over the Pistons. “Everybody’s thirsty to score. We become Usain Bolt on offense. On defense, we’re just running back like Scott Hastings.”

Denver’s 25.9 transition points per game ranks fifth in the NBA behind Memphis, Chicago, Atlanta and Oklahoma City. That mark is almost undone by the 24.2 transition points the Nuggets allow per game, the 10th-worst mark in the NBA.

Getting back on defense comes down to effort and discipline. If the Nuggets really have championship aspirations, they’ll sprint like Bolt in both directions instead of watching their shots or jogging back while other teams get out and run.

“If you can couple a really efficient half-court offense with an elite running team, now you’re a team that is tough to guard,” Malone said Monday. “My challenge now is keep that elite offense and just get better one day at a time, inch by inch, possession by possession, one more sprint back, one more sprint to shrink, one more find a body, one less leak out, hopefully that will pay dividends on the defensive end.”

What They’re Saying

When Malone was asked about some of his team’s issues and whether they’re related to the Nuggets relying on young players in the every-night rotation. Malone acknowledged the challenges that come with Denver’s current roster construction before taking a step back.

“If you look around the league, there’s not a lot of teams that have the expectations that we have are playing that many young players,” Malone said. “You have to live with some of the growing pains and some of the ups and downs that they may have, but I love those guys. They work hard. They care. They’re growing. They’re getting better, but it’s not just on them.”

Nikola Jokic could’ve very well had a 40-point, 20-rebound, 10-assist night in Utah if not for some uncharacteristic misses.

“I didn’t shoot the ball well. I think I missed a couple of easy ones,” Jokic said postgame. “I was just keep being aggressive.”

What I’m Following

– Aaron Gordon’s going to miss a fourth straight game Wednesday. Gordon strained his right calf muscle in the Christmas Day game in Phoenix. He previously missed most of November with the same injury, but Malone didn’t think this absence would be as long as the first.

– The Lakers moved off of D’Angelo Russell, who was largely a problem for Los Angeles in the last two playoff series against the Nuggets. Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks were shipped to Brooklyn in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton. Los Angeles gets a quality 3-and-D wing in Finney-Smith, while Brooklyn gets some cap relief with Russell on an expiring contract worth $18.7 million.

– It was a punchy week in the Association. It started with a fight between Dallas forward Naji Marshall and Phoenix center Jusuf Nurkic. Marshall was suspended for four games, while Nurkic was handed a three-game suspension for their involvement in Friday’s altercation. Mavericks forward P.J. Washington was also suspended for a game for his actions. Sunday night, the Rockets and Heat game featured a fight of its own. Miami’s Tyler Herro and Terry Rozier were ejected as were Houston’s Amen Thompson and Jalen Green. Thompson was suspended for two games, while Rozier received a one-game suspension.

– Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards hasn’t censored himself recently, but he might start soon. Minnesota’s face of the franchise has made a habit of cursing in his post-game interviews. The NBA levied a $100,000 fine on Edwards for using profanity during a live interview aired on television. Edwards had been fined $135,000 for multiple infractions in the past few weeks for different reasons.

What I’m Reading

LeBron James turned 40 on Monday. Associated Press basketball writer Tim Reynolds took stock of one of the game’s all-time greats as he became the first player to play in an NBA game in his teens, 20s, 30s and 40s.