It’s been a wild ride for the Brooklyn Nets lately. If you haven't been watching the box scores, you might have missed the fact that Michael Porter Jr. is basically transforming into a different player right before our eyes. Since being traded from the Denver Nuggets to Brooklyn in the summer of 2025, there’s been this massive question mark hanging over his head: can he actually be "The Guy" without Nikola Jokic feeding him perfect passes?
Looking at the Michael Porter Jr last 5 games, the answer seems to be a resounding, bucket-filled yes.
Honestly, it’s kinda weird seeing him in a black and white jersey. For years, we knew him as the ultimate play-finisher in Denver. He’d drift to the corner, Jokic would find him, and the ball would splash through the net. Simple. But in Brooklyn, he’s being asked to do way more. He's dribbling. He's creating. He's even—dare I say it—passing more than we ever expected.
Breaking Down the Scoring Binge
If you just look at the raw numbers from this most recent stretch in January 2026, the volume is staggering. We aren't just talking about a "hot streak." We are talking about a total offensive takeover.
On January 16th against the Chicago Bulls, Porter was the hero. He put up 26 points and secured a 112-109 win with a clutch layup with only five seconds left on the clock. That's the kind of stuff he rarely got to do with the Nuggets. Usually, the ball would be in Jamal Murray’s hands in those moments.
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But two nights before that? A bit of a reality check.
In a tight 116-113 loss to the Pelicans, Porter still managed 20 points, but it wasn't pretty. He shot just 7-for-20 from the floor. That’s the "Brooklyn MPJ" experience in a nutshell: higher usage means lower efficiency sometimes. He's taking the shots Cam Johnson used to take before that trade, and sometimes the defense keys in on him in ways he never had to deal with when he was the third option.
Recent Game Log and Efficiency Check
- January 16 vs. Bulls: 26 PTS, 7 REB, 5 3PM (W 112-109)
- January 14 @ Pelicans: 20 PTS, 7 REB, 1 AST (L 116-113)
- January 12 @ Mavericks: 28 PTS, 9 REB, 6 3PM (L 113-105)
- January 9 vs. Clippers: 18 PTS, 5 REB, 6 AST, 4 STL (L 121-105)
- January 7 vs. Magic: 34 PTS, 5 REB, 8 3PM (L 104-103 OT)
That Magic game was absolute insanity. Eight triples? In a single game? He was basically a human torch, but the Nets still couldn't pull it out in overtime. You’ve gotta feel for him a bit. He’s averaging nearly 26 points over this span, yet the team is struggling to stack wins.
The Trade Value Conversation
There’s a lot of chatter right now among NBA insiders about why the Nets are leaning so hard on him. Is it because they want to build around him? Or is it because his trade value is sky-high right now?
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Currently, Porter is averaging career highs across the board. 25.8 points per game. 7.5 rebounds. Even his assists are up to 3.2. For a guy who was once joked about for never passing, that’s a significant jump. People like Peyton Watson and his former Nuggets teammates have been spotted at his games, cheering him on. There's clearly still a lot of love there.
But the reality is the Nets are 12-27. They aren't going anywhere this year. If Porter continues this 26-point-per-game tear, some contender is going to get desperate at the trade deadline. He’s 27 years old, his back seems to be holding up, and he’s shooting 40% from deep on nearly 10 attempts a game.
That is a rare commodity.
What’s Changed in His Game?
Basically, the "shot diet" is different.
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In Denver, Porter was a specialist. He was the elite floor spacer. Now, he’s acting as a movement ball handler. He’s coming off screens, taking pull-up jumpers, and even operating in the pick-and-roll. It’s a lot to ask of a 6'10" guy with a history of back issues, but he looks fluid.
The defense is still... well, it's MPJ defense. He’s never going to be Kawhi Leonard on that end. But he’s grabbing 7.5 boards a night and using his length to at least be a nuisance. In the Clippers game on Jan 9, he actually snagged 4 steals. That's a career-high-tying mark that shows he’s at least trying to be more engaged when the shot isn't falling (he went 0-for-9 from three that night, by the way).
Actionable Insights for Fans and Fantasy Owners
If you are tracking Michael Porter Jr for your fantasy team or just as a Nets fan, here is what you need to keep an eye on over the next few weeks:
- Monitor the Shooting Splits: His efficiency has dipped to 48.7% overall because he's forced to take "bad" shots at the end of shot clocks. If that number falls toward 45%, his value as a pure scorer takes a hit.
- The "Illness" Factor: He missed a game earlier in January due to illness. With his history, any DNP (Did Not Play) makes fans nervous. Keep an eye on his active status during back-to-back sets.
- Watch the Assist Numbers: If he keeps hitting 3+ assists, he becomes a much more dynamic player. It forces defenses to stop doubling him, which actually opens up those corner threes he loves so much.
- Trade Deadline Rumors: The closer we get to February, the more noise you'll hear. If he moves to a contender, his scoring volume will drop, but his efficiency will likely skyrocket back to those "Nuggets-era" levels.
Porter has proven he can carry a heavy load. Whether he does that for a rebuilding Brooklyn team or a championship hunter is the next big storyline.