NBA FINALS: HEAT VS. NUGGETS

June 6, 2023

Michael Porter

Denver Nuggets

Practice Day

Q. Where did you see areas that you could have been better?

MICHAEL PORTER JR.: Me personally, I think intensity and energy wasn't where it needed to be from me personally or really the team as a whole. We can talk about the mistakes that we had defensively, but really, it's about intensity.

There's stuff we've got to clean up. Like they are a really good team. They are doing some actions that are hard to guard. So, our communication has to be on point but really, I think that's the main thing is, I think communication, because those defensive lapses can make it look like we are not playing hard because they get open shots but really, we are just -- we just need to be locked in to what we need to be doing, the coverages.

Q. Coach Malone said you guys had a pretty honest film session this morning. Can you describe it? Can you take us into that film session as much as you can?

MICHAEL PORTER JR.: Yeah, I think we knew we let an opportunity go in that Game 2. We just wanted to see what happened, hold each other accountable, and also just talk through everything because as much as it is energy and effort, like we're playing a great team, so we've got to give them credit. And see areas where we can attack them better and guard them better.

Q. We have a lot of people in Brazil watching the Finals. How is it like for you at this moment knowing the whole world is watching the Finals and you on social media? How do you work at this moment with the fans and everything?

MICHAEL PORTER JR.: Yeah, it's cool. We're on a big stage. We're in a big moment. Try not to make it too big. Still at the end of the day, it's just basketball. So, try not to make it as big as everyone else tries to make it. Just, you know, just view it as I'm a part of a good team. Our team just needs to view it as we're in this together to try to do something special.

So, we kind of block out all the noise, but it is cool knowing that we're able to play in front of so many people, inspire so many people.

Q. Jimmy Butler has been able to find open teammates for three the first two games, do you feel like you guys have been over-helping a little bit, particularly when he's isolated on the wing?

MICHAEL PORTER JR.: Yeah, I think probably over-helping a tad bit. AG has been doing a pretty good job limiting his shots, him getting downhill. That's what he's doing. He's facilitating. He's a winning player who likes to get his teammates involved. A lot of times he's driving to pass, not necessarily to shoot.

We have to fan out to the shooters. They got way too many open threes the first couple games.

Q. Wanted to ask you, with the amount of actions that the Heat are running on the perimeter, it feels like there is sort of like a mirror image thing going on with you guys. Both teams are heavy on ball movement, player movement. How hard do they make it with the amount of actions that they run to defend them with the multiple efforts that you have to make?

MICHAEL PORTER JR.: Yeah, they run some pretty tough actions to guard. You know, some unique actions that I think probably only they do. They got a lot of shooters who will run up and just slip, so to try to confuse you or your coverage, whether you're switching or you're staying with your own. So, I think that's the main thing.

That's why I said communication because they are doing some things to try to confuse us out there defensively, and we've just got to stay locked into our game plan.

Q. You guys as a team had a lot of breakdowns on switches in Game 2. Was that more on your side in terms of the communication from you guys as a team or were there things that Miami is doing that make those switches more difficult to navigate?

MICHAEL PORTER JR.: Yeah, I think it's both. We probably could communicate a little bit better and also just be more aware of the actions they are running, but also they are playing off of our coverages, they are hearing what we are communicating to each other and they're doing the opposite. If we say "switch," they are slipping out for open threes and if we don't say "switch," they are actually going to set the screen.

So they do a really good job of playing off of what our game plan is. So that's what this film session was about this morning, fixing that. So hopefully they won't get as many open shots.

Q. You're 3-of-17 from three in the first two games. When your three-pointer is not falling like you're accustomed to, where else can you attack?

MICHAEL PORTER JR.: I just have to play with energy and effort and I'll fall into some easy buckets off of cuts, off of transition. My three-pointer won't keep -- I'm not going to keep missing that many threes. I have to stay confident in myself, and if that's not falling, find other ways to help the team.

But I definitely can mix in some driving, close-outs, get to the hole and get out in transition, try to find easy ones, get on the glass, things like that.

Q. You're frequently guarded by players that are shorter, but in this case, much shorter like Gabe Vincent. Is there a temptation to drive or do you not want it to mess with your game as far as how often you shoot threes and when you do other things?

MICHAEL PORTER JR.: Yeah, I think that's part of sacrificing for this team because there may be times where one of us feels like we have a mismatch but that's just not the offense that we are running at the moment. There's times in transition when you can try to utilize the mismatch that you have. Obviously if Gabe Vincent is guarding me, I feel like I could just get the ball and go score but that's not necessarily what our team offense is about, and that's not what we have been doing this whole year. So, if that means stay in space, even though I feel like I have a matchup, that's what I have to do.

But to your point, yeah, there's probably ways, getting on the glass, getting downhill, trying to use my size to get some easy shots around the rim that I could do it a little bit better.

Q. I know you were saying that you want to block all the noise around the Finals and not make it so big but how do you block the Miami and all the noise that's around?

MICHAEL PORTER JR.: I really think it's just -- you're going to hear it, there's distractions out there. You're going to hear the noise, but at the end of the day, you have to just, you know, not back down from them. We all know it's a big moment. I think we are just trying to be locked in and stay as poised and as in the moment as possible and not let it get too, too big. So that's all I mean by that.

But we definitely know it's big, and yeah, we've just got to try to limit the noise and until we get this thing done, keep it as small as possible.