The Brooklyn Nets find themselves in a challenging spot when Michael Porter Jr. isn't firing on all cylinders. His recent dip in performance has highlighted just how crucial he is to the team's competitive edge.
Michael Porter Jr. said he feels out of rhythm after missing games before the All-Star break and not getting in the gym during his time off:
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) February 25, 2026
“My shot hasn’t felt this off since I can remember. For the last four or five games, I feel like I've just been off. But that’s what… pic.twitter.com/wkAVry3I11
Standing tall at 6-foot-10, Porter was a beacon of scoring efficiency earlier this season, dazzling with an average of 25.6 points on impressive 48/40/85 shooting splits over his initial 38 games. However, since being overlooked for the All-Star game, his numbers have taken a hit, dropping to 19.0 points on 40.5 percent shooting from the field and a chilly 18.2 percent from beyond the arc in his last seven outings.
During this stretch, the Nets have struggled, posting a 1-6 record and being outscored by 89 points.
“My shot hasn’t felt this off since I can remember,” Porter admitted after a tough shooting night against the Dallas Mavericks. “For the last four or five games, I feel like I've just been off.
But that’s what happens when you’re out of rhythm, and you don’t play for a while. People who aren't basketball players don't understand that you can really lose your timing and your touch in two or three days of not playing.
So not playing [in the last two games] pre-All-Star break, then not getting in the gym much during it, I think I’m paying the price for it.”
Porter attributes his shooting woes to a lack of rhythm due to an extended break, yet his struggles began even before the All-Star hiatus. In his last two games before the break, he managed just 30 points and shot 2-of-16 from deep in losses to the Lakers and Magic.
His shooting prowess earlier in the season was remarkable, especially given the tough shots he was taking. Porter led the league with 205 tightly-contested three-point attempts, far outpacing James Harden and Duncan Robinson. He converted a respectable 36.1 percent of those shots.
Recently, though, his accuracy has plummeted to 12.5 percent on tightly-contested threes and hasn't fared much better on open looks, shooting just 17.4 percent.
While this slump isn't entirely unexpected, it has certainly impacted the Nets, whose offense heavily relies on Porter, especially with rookies Nolan Traore and Egor Demin as his primary counterparts. Over the last nine games, Brooklyn has posted the league's lowest offensive rating.
Despite the downturn, Nets coach Jordi Fernandez remains optimistic. “I don’t think teams are doing anything different.
Every time he shoots the ball, I think it’s going in,” Fernandez said. “He’s letting it fly and the shots are going to go in… He’s got to keep shooting, keep finishing cuts, spacing the floor and making the right plays when he sees bodies in front of him.
I’m not concerned at all.”
Interestingly, Porter's slump might have a silver lining for Brooklyn. With five straight losses, the Nets have improved their draft lottery position, currently holding the third-best odds for the top pick.
While draft prospects loom large, Porter emphasizes the importance of the remaining games. “This is a new situation that I’ve been in, but no basketball game is meaningless.
It’s all part of the journey,” he stated. “This team, we’re not just looking at this year, we're looking at the overall scheme and goals for the next one, two, three, four, five years.
All these games matter for us in terms of growth, continuity and chemistry. Sometimes it’s hard to focus on that, but we’ve got to come in and work every day and realize it’s a bigger picture.
At the end of the day, we’re playing basketball, a game we all love to play.”
Porter’s journey and the Nets' season are far from over, with each game serving as a stepping stone for the future.