Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. had the kind of season last year where many around the league were expecting him to make the NBA All-Star team for the first time in his career. Brooklyn did not have the kind of season it was hoping for, but with Porter later admitting that he took his foot off the gas after the All-Star break, a longtime veteran had a message for him.
"Now, because he didn't finish the year strong, then people [are] just like, 'oh man, he's just out there playing on a bad team to make an All Star game,'" Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green said of Porter during a recent episode of his podcast, "The Draymond Green Show." Green was giving his take on Porter saying that he lost some of his drive towards the end
of last season after the Nets were essentially eliminated from postseason contention fairly early on.
"Now, you're gonna have to play so much better throughout the beginning course of this season, first 50 games or whatnot, in order to make an All-Star because of how they're gonna view it now," Green continued. "So, just for young guys out there in the future, like just something to remember, and this ain't no knock to Michael Porter Jr. You don't know what you don't know, but I think people will hold this against him for the future."
Porter, 28, is coming off the best season of his eight-year career as he averaged 24.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game while shooting 46.3% from the field and 36.3% from behind the three-point line. While Porter had a strong start to the season as he scored at least 30 points in three of his first seven games, he averaged just 20.5 points and shot just 40.9% from the floor over the course of February and March.
Green, who has made the All-Star team four times in his 14-year career, seems to believe that Porter doing what he did could not only affect him when it comes to the All-Star Game, but also beyond. Porter is still eligible for a contract extension until the end of the 2026-27 NBA season, but if he doesn't sign an extension, Green seems to be of the belief that the former Denver Nuggets sharpshooter may need to adjust his approach as soon as possible.
Draymond Green on Michael Porter Jr. admitting he lost motivation after his All-Star snub:
— NBABase (@TheNBABase) September 26, 2026
“Because he didn’t finish the year strong, people are just like ‘Oh man, he’s just out there playing on a bad team to make an All-Star game.’ Now you’re going to have to play so much… pic.twitter.com/4l0k0bJEw4
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets' Michael Porter Jr. gets message from Warriors' Draymond Green
