Michael Porter Jr. is making noise in Brooklyn - and not just the kind that echoes through Barclays Center after a big three. Since arriving via trade, the 27-year-old forward has flipped the narrative on his career, delivering the kind of production that has Nets fans buzzing and opposing defenses scrambling. In the early stages of this new chapter, Porter Jr. isn’t just thriving - he’s rewriting the record books.
His latest four-game stretch has been nothing short of historic. With a 34-point outing in Dallas on Friday, Porter Jr. became the first forward in NBA history to record four straight games with at least 30 points and five made threes.
That’s a club so exclusive, it previously only included elite perimeter scorers like Stephen Curry, James Harden, Damian Lillard, Anthony Edwards, and Gary Trent Jr. Now Porter Jr. - a 6-foot-10 sniper - joins that list, and does so from the forward spot, which makes the feat all the more impressive.
For years in Denver, Porter Jr. played a complementary role behind Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. He was efficient, yes, but often overshadowed.
In Brooklyn, he’s stepped into the spotlight - and he’s owning it. The Nets, in the midst of a rebuild, have handed him the keys offensively, and he’s responded with the most complete stretch of basketball in his career.
What’s stood out isn’t just the scoring totals - it’s how he’s getting them. Porter Jr.’s off-ball movement has become the engine of Brooklyn’s offense.
He’s constantly in motion, using screens, cutting with purpose, and finding pockets of space that most players his size don’t even look for. That activity, combined with his elite shooting stroke, has made him a nightmare to guard - especially when he's hot from deep.
Even with a career-high usage rate, Porter Jr. hasn’t sacrificed efficiency. He’s averaging 25.6 points and 3.2 assists per game on .497 shooting from the field, .399 from three, and .813 from the line.
That blend of volume and efficiency puts him in rare company. Only four other players this season are averaging at least 25 points while shooting better than 49% from the field and 39% from deep: Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
That’s MVP-level territory.
And the milestones keep stacking up. According to OptaSTATS, Porter Jr. and Kevin Durant are now the only players in NBA history to score 525 points on over 50% shooting from the field and 40% from three in their first 20 games with a team.
Durant accomplished that with three different franchises - the Nets, Warriors, and Suns. Porter Jr. has now done it in his Brooklyn debut.
That’s not just a hot start. That’s a statement.
It’s still early in the season, but Porter Jr.'s emergence as a go-to option is one of the most compelling storylines in the league right now. He’s proving he can be more than a third option or a floor spacer. He’s showing he can carry an offense, bend defenses, and deliver night after night - all while maintaining the kind of efficiency that analytics departments drool over.
For the Nets, who are building toward the future, this version of Michael Porter Jr. looks like a foundational piece. And for Porter Jr. himself, this stretch might just be the beginning of a new era - one where he’s not just part of the conversation, but leading it.