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Porter Jr work out is back on for NBA lottery teams on Friday

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Former Mizzou forward Michael Porter Jr. canceled his second pro day in Chicago scheduled for Friday because of a strained hip and spasms.  However, that workout appears to be back on.  It was reported early Thursday afternoon that Porter would undergo tests for hip spasms, which forced him to cancel the workout, but an MRI was negative and Porter reported feeling better.  His agency alerted teams that his workout was back on.

Friday’s workout is just lottery teams, and Porter has been projected by the top mock drafts of being selected anywhere from as high as 4th to 8th overall in next Thursday’s NBA Draft.  Many insiders feel despite the questions about Porter’s health, he should be a top 10 pick in the draft.

In a total of three games at Mizzou, Porter averaged 10 points and 6.7 rebounds while shooting 33.3 percent.  Porter assessed that he was playing at 75% of his potential in the SEC and NCAA tournament games.

Michael Porter cancels draft workouts. Former #Mizzou forward dealing with a strained hip

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ESPN is reporting that former Mizzou basketball forward Michael Porter Jr. canceled his second pro day in Chicago scheduled for Friday because of a strained hip.  According to ESPN’s sources Porter was dealing with muscle spasms.  There is the possibility that Porter could reschedule.  Lottery team doctors and trainers have also been invited to personally evaluate.

While mock drafts before this news had Porter being selected anywhere from 4th to 8th overall, could Porter’s stock actually be falling amongst teams?  He already refused to participate in NBA combine medical examinations and postponed his first pro day by a week.

Porter appeared in the season opener for Mizzou in early November then had surgery on his L3 and L4 spinal disks later that month and was finally cleared to play in March, where he described himself at 75% during the SEC and NCAA Tournament.  However, various media reports suggest NBA teams still feel his longterm health is not a major concern.

The NBA Draft is next Thursday.

NBA mock draft update. Could Michael Porter Jr go as high as 4th?

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The NBA Draft is just a little over a week away and multiple publications continue to update their mock drafts, some of them releasing as many as their ninth update since the process started a couple of months ago.  Mizzou fans were excited to hear that Jontay Porter will come back to Columbia for his sophomore season, even though he believed he was a for-sure first-round pick.

Whether or not you believe Jontay turned down potential first-round money, it is certain that older brother Michael is a top-ten pick according to the top mock drafts.  Below are the updated picks.

CBS SPORTS
4. GRIZZLIES Michael Porter Jr.
Height: 6’10” | Weight: 210 | Age: 19 | Last: 5
Stats: 10.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 33% FG

Sure, there are questions about Michael Porter Jr. — specifically how healthy he is and his long-term outlook after missing most of his freshman season due to a back injury that required surgery. But his potential to develop into a go-to scorer drives his ceiling to an All-Star-level player if he’s able to stay on the court. He’s worth taking a risk at No. 4 for a re-booting Memphis franchise lacking on talent.

SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
5. MAVERICKS:

There’s talk that the Mavericks may prefer not to draft a center in this scenario, with a potential eye on DeMarcus Cousins in free agency. It’s possible they look to move this pick. If they keep it and are willing to take the risk, Porter makes sense as a fit with their personnel. He’s a wildcard in the draft as he continues to work into peak shape, but seems to be trending toward full health. His situation will clarify now that some teams atop the draft have access to his medical information. Porter’s pro day was well-attended, and he’ll work out again in private on Friday for lottery teams only. The game comes easily to Porter, and in a total vacuum, his offensive gifts would make him a top-five selection. The risk of re-injury, as well as background intel on his personality, may continue to give some teams pause. Though he could still end up falling in the draft, there appears to be enough interest to keep him safely in the Top 10.

ESPN, SB Nation and NBADraft.net
8. CAVALIERS

ESPN Summary: A former 5-star recruit out of Nathan Hale High School in Seattle, Wash., Porter was ranked as the nation’s No. 2 overall prospect and No. 1 small forward in the 2017 class, according to the 247Sports Composite. Last season at Missouri, the 6-foot-10, 215-pound true freshman missed nearly the entire season after suffering a back injury in the season opener. He returned in the SEC Tournament and averaged 14.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks over the final two games.

Michael Porter Jr, “thankful to be part of a special group,” but announces he’s leaving #Mizzou for #NBADraft (VIDEO)

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Michael Porter Junior has announced he’s leaving Missouri after his freshman season.  He only played 53 minutes during this one year with the Tigers.  The six-foot-10 forward had back surgery after playing just two minutes in Mizzou’s season opener.  There no word yet on if his brother Jontay Porter will enter the draft as well.

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A post shared by Michael Porter Jr. (@mpj) on

Porter Jr. hopeful on his return to the #Mizzou lineup. Says he’s ready to go if he’s cleared by doctors next week

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Michael Porter Jr. says he feels fine.  In fact, it is the best he has felt in a long time.  When he meets with his doctors next week, he is hoping he is cleared to resume all basketball activities in practice.  From there, Michael told me he would be ready to play right away, but that decision will ultimately come down to Mizzou head coach Cuonzo Martin once he is physically cleared by his medical team.

Porter Jr. underwent a microdiscectomy of the L3-L4 spinal discs the week of Thanksgiving.  The procedure, which has a three-to-four month recovery time led many to speculate that not only would Porter Jr.’s season end, but his career at Missouri would be over.  After recovery, Porter Jr. would then leave for the NBA Draft.

However, Michael says he’s not looking too far forward into the future, he’s just concerned with playing basketball.

I relayed to coach Martin what Porter Jr. said about being able to play immediately if he were cleared by doctors.  Martin says he can’t really give a timeline as to how long or how many practices it would take until he would feel comfortable putting Michael on the floor.

Let’s examine the scenarios of Michael might return.  If he is cleared at his doctor’s appointment next week to begin practicing, that eliminates Tue, Feb 13 at home against Texas A & M.  Would his first game back come on the road, or would he feel more comfortable in front of his home fans?  If Cuonzo is ready to get Michael on the floor ASAP, that first true opportunity could come on Sat, Feb 17 at LSU.  My prediction would be Porter’s first game back would come on Tue, Feb 20 at home against Ole Miss to give him close to a week of practice before his first game and one appearance before a big showdown on Sat, Feb 24 at Kentucky.

Cuonzo could also stay on the cautious side and hold him out past the Kentucky game and have Porter Jr debut on the road, but to travel to Lexington with another weapon like MPJ could sure help Mizzou.

Porter Jr. “I’m coming home”

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With one simple tweet on Friday afternoon, Michael Porter Jr. made Mizzou basketball relevant again in the state and in Division I basketball.

Michael Porter Jr will follow his father to Mizzou (photo/Twitter @TheMPJ1)

His announcement comes less than 24 hours after Mizzou basketball announced they had hired his dad, Michael Sr. as an assistant coach to Cuonzo Martin.

Porter Sr. joins #Mizzou coaching staff. Does Porter Jr. and Jontay soon follow?

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Cuonzo Martin may have found the linchpin to helping turn around the Mizzou men’s basketball program with the addition of Michael Porter Sr. to his coaching staff.  The former Mizzou women’s basketball assistant is back in Columbia after spending the last year at Washington, helping coach the men’s team under Lorenzo Romar.

Michael Porter Jr. is the top recruit for the Class of 2017. Jontay Porter is a high-level recruit for the class of 2018, but could reclassify and move up to play with his older brother. Michael and Jontay played at Father Tolton Catholic High School in Columbia winning a state championship in 2016.

They won the state championship in Washington this season, playing for Nathan Hale High School in Seattle.

Porter Jr., in an teleconference with the media, stated he is exploring his options after being released from his National Letter of Intent by Washington yesterday.