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Nets head coach Jordi Fernández confirmed Friday that Michael Porter Jr. and rookie Danny Wolf are out for the season, shutting down two of Brooklyn’s more productive forwards as the calendar inches closer to the offseason.
Porter’s season-ending news provides clarity after weeks of waiting. He was diagnosed with a hamstring strain on March 19 and was expected to be re-evaluated two weeks later. Instead of a return window, the Nets now have a final answer.
In his first season with Brooklyn after being traded from the Denver Nuggets over the summer, Porter appeared in 52 games, all starts, and delivered as a primary option. He averaged a career-high 24.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, a career-high 3.0 assists and a career-high-tying 1.1 steals in 32.5 minutes per game while shooting 46.3% from the field, 36.3% from 3-point range and 85.9% at the free throw line.
Fernández said Porter’s season wasn’t just about numbers. It was about adjusting to a new environment and being asked to lead in a way he hadn’t before.
“Michael in a new situation, being on the same team for seven years on a championship team and now having a different role, a different situation, everything has been also very positive,” Fernández said. “He’s played at an All-Star level. In my opinion, he should’ve been an All-Star. And now I want him to come back here and have a chip on his shoulder, lead the team the way he’s been doing the same way.”
Fernández emphasized how different the leadership context was for Porter, who went from a long-tenured, title-tested roster in Denver to a Nets group leaning heavily on youth.
“That was a new thing for him, to lead by example and be the oldest guy,” Fernández said. “He went from being the youngest guy, or since I was with him, 19 all the way to 27, and now all of a sudden at 27 he’s a vet. So that was an adjustment. He’s done a great job.”
Wolf’s season-ending designation closes the book on a rookie year that was equal parts learning curve and proof of concept. The No. 27 pick out of Michigan suffered a right ankle sprain in Brooklyn’s loss to the Sacramento Kings on March 22.
Wolf appeared in 57 games, averaging 8.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting 40.5% from the field, 32.2% from 3-point range and 77.1% from the line. His combination of size and ballhandling helped Brooklyn experiment with taller, more versatile lineup looks, and Fernández said the team viewed Wolf’s season as a positive step, with clear targets for next year.
“One being a rookie that showed that he belongs and he’s been able to do very different things,” Fernández said. He pointed to Wolf’s shooting, playmaking and rebounding, plus the flexibility to function as a primary handler or off the ball, then circled what comes next. “Obviously knowing exactly what we’re going to get through work in the summer so he can take that next step. Obviously, efficiency is important.”
Fernández also credited Wolf’s defense, saying the staff believed it would translate better than outside expectations.
“Defensively, I think you guys brought the point that he surprised a lot of people. He didn’t surprise us,” Fernández said. “We felt like he could do all those things and keep bodies in front, keep guys in front of the ball and guard smaller guys.”
With Porter and Wolf shut down, Brooklyn’s final stretch will continue to lean even harder into minutes for the remaining healthy rotation players and the organization’s development track. What the Nets lose now is obvious: a proven, high-usage scorer in Porter and a rookie big who opened tactical doors. What they gain is a clearer path into the summer, when both players will be expected to return healthier and take their next steps.
Continue reading...
Porter’s season-ending news provides clarity after weeks of waiting. He was diagnosed with a hamstring strain on March 19 and was expected to be re-evaluated two weeks later. Instead of a return window, the Nets now have a final answer.
In his first season with Brooklyn after being traded from the Denver Nuggets over the summer, Porter appeared in 52 games, all starts, and delivered as a primary option. He averaged a career-high 24.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, a career-high 3.0 assists and a career-high-tying 1.1 steals in 32.5 minutes per game while shooting 46.3% from the field, 36.3% from 3-point range and 85.9% at the free throw line.
Fernández said Porter’s season wasn’t just about numbers. It was about adjusting to a new environment and being asked to lead in a way he hadn’t before.
“Michael in a new situation, being on the same team for seven years on a championship team and now having a different role, a different situation, everything has been also very positive,” Fernández said. “He’s played at an All-Star level. In my opinion, he should’ve been an All-Star. And now I want him to come back here and have a chip on his shoulder, lead the team the way he’s been doing the same way.”
Fernández emphasized how different the leadership context was for Porter, who went from a long-tenured, title-tested roster in Denver to a Nets group leaning heavily on youth.
“That was a new thing for him, to lead by example and be the oldest guy,” Fernández said. “He went from being the youngest guy, or since I was with him, 19 all the way to 27, and now all of a sudden at 27 he’s a vet. So that was an adjustment. He’s done a great job.”
Wolf’s season-ending designation closes the book on a rookie year that was equal parts learning curve and proof of concept. The No. 27 pick out of Michigan suffered a right ankle sprain in Brooklyn’s loss to the Sacramento Kings on March 22.
Wolf appeared in 57 games, averaging 8.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting 40.5% from the field, 32.2% from 3-point range and 77.1% from the line. His combination of size and ballhandling helped Brooklyn experiment with taller, more versatile lineup looks, and Fernández said the team viewed Wolf’s season as a positive step, with clear targets for next year.
“One being a rookie that showed that he belongs and he’s been able to do very different things,” Fernández said. He pointed to Wolf’s shooting, playmaking and rebounding, plus the flexibility to function as a primary handler or off the ball, then circled what comes next. “Obviously knowing exactly what we’re going to get through work in the summer so he can take that next step. Obviously, efficiency is important.”
Fernández also credited Wolf’s defense, saying the staff believed it would translate better than outside expectations.
“Defensively, I think you guys brought the point that he surprised a lot of people. He didn’t surprise us,” Fernández said. “We felt like he could do all those things and keep bodies in front, keep guys in front of the ball and guard smaller guys.”
With Porter and Wolf shut down, Brooklyn’s final stretch will continue to lean even harder into minutes for the remaining healthy rotation players and the organization’s development track. What the Nets lose now is obvious: a proven, high-usage scorer in Porter and a rookie big who opened tactical doors. What they gain is a clearer path into the summer, when both players will be expected to return healthier and take their next steps.
Continue reading...
