When the Nuggets traded Michael Porter Jr. to Brooklyn to acquire Cam Johnson, Porter wasn’t sure how he would adjust to a new team, under a new coach, and, more importantly, to a new city. Six months later, Porter has not only embraced the role of their primary choice on offense, but also that of a veteran leader. In short, the Nets are using him to his full potential, and Porter is thriving in his new role.

Under Michael Malone, Porter was largely the third option (and sometimes the fourth behind Aaron Gordon) on the Nuggets team. Porter excelled in his role as a shooter and cutter in an offense that was almost always orchestrated by Nikola Jokić. During the Summer League earlier this year, the former Nuggets forward said that his role had “plateaued” in Denver and he couldn’t reach his full potential.

Now that he has seamlessly transformed himself into the focal point of the Nets’ offense, Nuggets coach David Adelman is still adamant that Denver used Porter the right way. Before the Nuggets faced the Nets at Barclays Center, Adelman told reporters that his team used Porter exactly the way it fit the team and maximized their production.

“For us, you know, he sacrificed, and that’s just the way it was our two-man game, it’s been successful, and him in the corner with Aaron Gordon the dunker was quite a thing,” Adelman said. “I thought we used him the right way. I’m sure he would disagree with me completely, which is ok. But we won a lot of games doing it that way. It’s cool to see him have more freedom under Jordi [Fernandez].”

For years, Porter’s offense was largely dictated by Jokic’s playmaking. However, he showed flashes of being a primary offensive star when Denver played without Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokić. After 27 games in Brooklyn, Porter Jr. is averaging a career-high 25.8 points per game in a Nets jersey.

He never touched the 20 ppg mark in Denver. His usage rate has spiked to 29.8%, compared to 20.2% in Denver in his last season.

While Porter would have been happy being in Denver, he has no grudge for his former team. He has immense love and respect for his “brothers” and coaches in Denver, and the feeling is mutual.

David Adelman says he misses Michael Porter Jr.

Porter was the highlight of this offseason, particularly his unfiltered takes on dating, gambling and gender. Porter spoke freely, and to an extent that it even made the Nets uncomfortable. Before the game in Brooklyn, Adelman admitted that he missed his former player in the locker room, particularly their conversations.

“I miss the conversation,” the Nuggets coach said. “I think a lot of people are scared to be themselves nowadays. Mike is not. People scoff at that sometimes because maybe they’re scared to say what they actually think. Mike’s gonna say it, whether you agree with him or not.”

Adelman’s praise didn’t soften Porter’s edge—it fueled it. When MPJ took the floor at Barclays Center, he played with conviction, as if determined to remind everyone exactly who he is.

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Michael Porter Jr. shines in a win over his former team

It wasn’t strictly a revenge game for Porter Jr., but he had admittedly circled the date when the league released the schedule. Porter was nervous before the game, but ended up torching the shorthanded Nuggets on Sunday.

He had his third consecutive 27-point game in the win (127-115), after one each against the Warriors and the Timberwolves. In the Nets’ 11th win of the season, Michael Porter Jr. recorded 27 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 block in 32 minutes.

He was perfect from the free-throw line (9-of-9), contributing to a strong all-around double-double effort. Porter started slowly (7 points in the first quarter on 1-of-4 shooting, with Denver double-teaming him heavily), but adjusted well in the second quarter (adding 9 more points) and helped the Nets build momentum. The Nuggets’ focus on him early opened up opportunities for his teammates.

His ability to handle defensive pressure created spacing and easy looks for others, while his rebounding helped Brooklyn dominate the glass (44-33 overall). This contributed to a strong third quarter (41 points for Brooklyn, including 7-of-9 from three) where they pulled away to a 100-84 lead entering the fourth.

Porter’s efficiency and versatility, especially after missing the prior two games due to illness, provided the offensive anchor in a game where the Nets shot 50.6% overall and made 14 threes.