NEW YORK -- Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. had the kind of season last year that many around the NBA believed would have earned him his first All-Star appearance of his career. However, once Brooklyn saw their season go off the rails heading into the All-Star break, Porter with some injuries along with the change in direction of the team. Porter's ready for an even better year, though.
"Last year was kind of like another rookie season for me because it was just a completely different role. I was seeing different things that I hadn't seen my whole time in Denver," Porter said to the media following Friday's practice. Once the Nets acquired Porter from the Denver Nuggets via trade heading into the 2025-26 season, he knew that he would be set for the most involved role in his career.
"So, being able to see that, work on things in the summertime, I feel like I'm more prepared to take on that role this season," Porter continued. "I think I'll be even better than last year, more efficient. Julius [Randle] will help create open looks for me. I think I'll be able to maintain the production, but more efficiency is my goal."
Porter, 28, is coming off a 2025-26 season in which 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 in 52 games played. Heading into this season, Porter will be sharing the floor with former Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle and the preseason showed that these two could be a special dup because of their varying skillsets that compliment each other well.
Last season, Porter achieved per-game career-highs in virtually every category, but his shooting efficiency is the one area of his game that regressed when compared to his career shooting percentages. Ultimately, Porter has acknowledged multiple times at this point in the preseason that Randle will be able to create more open looks for him and if that's the case, the sharpshooter is looking to have an even better season than he did last year.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets' Michael Porter Jr. preparing for an even better season