A cursed series of injuries got worse for the Denver Nuggets this morning, as it was reported by both ESPN and others that Michael Porter Jr. will need surgery for the nerve issue in his back:
This may cause him to miss the entire season, but as Adrian Wojnarowski reports that final confirmation will likely come after the surgery when the extent of the damage is known. No one has stated yet what kind of surgery this will be, and different back surgeries obviously have different recovery times.
At this point our thoughts are with MPJ and his family. I know he had hoped that he was through with this particular injury but it apparently is not yet through with him, so we at Denver Stiffs wish him a full recovery and a long life and career without any more recurrences.
For Denver, this certainly puts to bed their plans to get MPJ comfortable as a high-volume option in a season where Jamal Murray is also unavailable as he rehabs from his ACL surgery. Murray, Porter and PJ Dozier all being on the shelf with long-term injuries saddles Denver with some roster decisions, especially as Dozier and Porter may both free up Disabled Player Exception spots that would allow the Nuggets to add a player for each without incurring luxury tax.
But for the moment, let’s take a breath and wish the injured Nuggets well in their recuperation, especially MPJ. It’s been a tough year already as a fan, but nothing’s harder than the rehab ahead (or ongoing) for these Denver players. Get well soon, and we’ll see you back on the court when you are ready – and not before.
Are you listening, Nuggets medical staff? Not. Before.
