Denver, CO
Michael Porter Jr. and the Nuggets are past their slow 3-point shooting start. Will they seek more attempts next?
Nikola Jokic did his best Michael Porter Jr. impression so that both could finally rest.
Jokic was averaging 39.2 minutes, almost five more per game than his previous season average. Porter was averaging 37.8 minutes, six more than his. They’ve been Denver’s two workhorses on a depth-deprived roster. With Jamal Murray in concussion protocol for the second leg of a back-to-back Saturday night, the onus was on them even more.
The Nuggets only led 81-68 with five minutes remaining in the third quarter against a winless Utah Jazz team — not enough of a cushion for the starters to clock out early. Then in a matter of three minutes, Jokic buried three 3-pointers from three different locations: the top of the key, the wing and the corner.
“That was lovely,” Porter said, smiling, after watching the entire fourth quarter of Denver’s 129-103 win from the bench.
The Nuggets have been roundly scrutinized, internally and externally, for their 3-point shooting options early in the new season. Jokic himself declared them “not a good shooting team” after just one game, a 7-for-39 performance on opening day at Ball Arena. He labeled Porter and Murray as the only two consistently reliable threats from deep. Both had an inefficient first weekend.
“If those couple of games at the beginning came in January, I don’t think anyone would have been too alarmed,” Porter said Saturday at Ball Arena. “So I didn’t really care.”
The Nuggets’ 3-point weaponry hasn’t been as dire as it seemed that night against the Thunder when their volume of attempts was high but their efficiency was atrocious. Since then, the team’s numbers have unfolded more accordingly with its past trend: low volume, high efficiency. Denver is 43.2% from outside excluding the opener, but on just 29.2 attempts in those five games. Overall, the Nuggets rank second-to-last in attempts ahead of the Lakers.
“With our personnel, I think I should be aiming to get six to eight, sometimes nine 3s up,” Porter said Saturday. “I think Jamal will have to take a few more. I think Nikola being willing to just let it fly sometimes will be big for us. And then Julian shooting off the bench. Just because teams are shooting more and more 3s, we’ve gotta try to shoot more, I think.”
Porter’s season clip is only 37.5% so far, but he’s 50% since the Nuggets left Denver for their first road trip. His average attempts are at 6.7, firmly within the range of his stated goal.
But Jokic has ironically been the main perimeter revelation since his opening-night comment. He is 16 for 27 on the season (59.3%), a stat that elicited a “really?” from Porter. The Nuggets even tried an after-timeout play call in Toronto that was designed to get Jokic an open 3-point look — a clear reaction to his career-high seven 3s the previous game.
His barrage late in the third quarter Saturday was essential beyond the box score. After four consecutive games that came down to the final minute and two that required overtime, Denver’s starting lineup needs every breather it can get. Jokic saved himself, Porter and Aaron Gordon at least five or six extra minutes of playing time. He accomplished it by burying jumpers everywhere, in every way: spotting up or pulling up.
“You’ve gotta think, it’s not a 6-foot-3 guy closing out on him either,” Julian Strawther said. “It’s a 7-footer with a 7-5 wingspan every time. That’s just who (Jokic) is. Everybody in the world knows how amazing he is, and he still finds a way to shock everybody every night.”
Strawther is not as concerned with the team’s overall volume. In fact, the 22-year-old has been intentional about not overdoing it early in the season despite having been the second unit’s only efficient scorer (47.1% from three after a 3-for-6 night against Utah).
“I feel like there’s also just a balance for myself, just trying to find the right shots and not force anything. I could easily go out there and get up seven, eight, nine 3s a night,” Strawther said. “And they’d probably be a bunch of ill-advised shots. And I thought that’s something I did even my rookie year: Take a bunch of ill-advised shots. Like I keep telling y’all, my main point of emphasis is just to continue to stay efficient. And just be a guy that is known for staying efficient. … Our volume isn’t necessarily something that we’re just gonna go out there and chuck a bunch of shots.”
Jokic’s outlandish efficiency is certain to regress even if he stays relatively hot. Any 60% clip is naturally an anomaly — in the same way the Nuggets’ season-opening stat line seemed to be one big anomaly. Still, it’s encouraging that Denver has four 3-point shooters exceeding 40%, and even more so that none of them are Porter or Murray.
Christian Braun has improved to 42.1% on low attempts. And Gordon is punishing scouting reports for daring him to chuck. He torched Minnesota for 31 points Friday, helping him to a 55% season clip beyond the arc.
The power forward doesn’t even have a specific number of reps or makes that he aims for when he begins a shooting workout. “I just shoot way too much,” he told The Post this week. “It’s just however I’m feeling.”
That seems to be the Nuggets’ general approach to their number of attempts any given game. In Toronto, they ended up taking only 20 en route to a win. In Minnesota, they crushed the Timberwolves in the paint early in the game, but it didn’t matter because the Wolves kept up entirely from 3-point range.
“I don’t think we can get that number (of attempts) up,” Michael Malone acknowledged. But the 10th-year coach has also been well aware of opponents sagging off several of his perimeter players.
“Getting more makes,” Malone said, “is more of a priority for me.”
Originally Published:
Factors such as declining birth rates and families moving out of the city are contributing to declining enrollment at Denver Public Schools. In turn, it’s reshaping the district’s future.
“I think we’re in a good position, but it’s responsible for us to always be looking in the future and knowing we have to make some adjustments,” said Chuck Carpenter, the district’s CFO.
In a two-year span between this past school year and next, DPS expects a decline in enrollment of around 1,700 students.
“We haven’t really seen anything like this,” said Carpenter in response to the consistent decline.
Because of this trend, the district is facing a $28 million structural deficit over the next five years.
“We have a balanced budget now, and we’re not predicting that we’ll have an unbalanced budget in three years,” said Carpenter. “We’re saying we need to make adjustments over the next three, four years, so that our budgets are balanced.”
DPS’s Director of Campus Planning, Andrew Huber, told CBS Colorado in an interview last month that those adjustments will likely include closing down more schools.
“Additional school closures will be necessary in the upcoming years. When exactly that would be is hard to forecast right now,” said Huber.
The district’s CFO says his biggest takeaway from a recent round of closures is to make sure to give families options for what’s next.
“No one wants their school closed, but the second-best option isn’t going to be the same for every family,” said Carpenter.
This issue could be one Denver faces for years to come.
“We sort of say, how many kids are born here? Because in five years, those kids will be kindergartners,” Carpenter added.
The city’s birth rate peaked in 2005, meaning those babies have already graduated high school. And, according to the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, more young families move out of Denver and into surrounding counties than move into the city.
“I think school consolidation is very — I understand why people want to talk about it, but I think it’s more about, like, how do we make sure that the programs that are offered are rich programs,” said Carpenter.
Carpenter also says the district is closely monitoring some potential cuts to federal grants for students of poverty and language learners. He says those decisions will be made by October for the start of the new fiscal year, and cuts would have a “terrible” impact.
The Denver Broncos hosted eight tryout players at mandatory minicamp this week, including quarterback Sawyer Robertson. It sounds like the team has made decisions on those tryout players, and Robertson won’t be signed (at least not right now).
Instead, the Broncos are signing offensive lineman Reid Holskey (according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler) and cornerback Blake Cotton (according to the Denver Post‘s Parker Gabriel). Holskey (6-6, 306 pounds) spent time on the Houston Texans’ practice squad in 2025 before joining the New York Giants in January. He was cut by New York last month. Cotton (6-2, 195 pounds) is a rookie who spent last fall at Utah, totaling 30 tackles and seven pass breakups in 13 games.
The two moves came one day after Denver wrapped up minicamp. The 91-man offseason roster was already full, so the Broncos will need to make corresponding moves to make room for Holskey and Cotton on the roster.
Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook and Twitter/X! Did you know: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.
Sean Payton has seen enough. The Denver Broncos’ third practice of mandatory minicamp, which was set to happen on Thursday, has been canceled.
“Just schedule-wise, today will be our last day,” Payton said after Wednesday’s practice. “I just finished telling them that. It’s unusual because there’s a lot of packing, a little bit more than normal when you’re moving into another facility. So when we’re back here, we’ll be in the new building.”
The Broncos are moving into their new state-of-the-art facility, but the decision to cancel the final practice of the offseason was motivated primarily by what Payton has seen thus far and how the team is shaping up.
Thus concludes the Broncos’ offseason training program, which featured eight total practices as a team, four of which were open to the media. There was more on-field activity than that, including walkthrough practices unseen by the press, but in essence, we’re talking about eight sessions.
Some players have already begun to separate themselves in their respective competitions. Others have really popped, while some have failed to really stand out in any meaningful way.
By way of a Broncos stock report, let’s get to the biggest winners and losers of mandatory minicamp.
Winner: Bo Nix | QB
Nix finally returned to the practice field on Tuesday, the first day of minicamp. He was limited to individual drills only, but it was still great to see him out there.
On Day 2, though, Nix took another big step forward, participating in a 7-on-7 drill that included a highlight-reel touchdown pass to RJ Harvey. Just getting Nix back on the field was a big win for the Broncos, but seeing him progress over two days and look overall very sharp was more than a little encouraging.
Winner: Jaylen Waddle | WR
Waddle has been a lightning rod since the practices were opened to the media. He just looks different. That speed and explosiveness really add an element to the Broncos’ offense that has been lacking.
It’s been palpable. But arguably just as exciting is what Waddle’s teammates and coaches have been saying about him. Payton has called him a “force multiplier,” which is another way of saying that he makes everyone around him better.
Not that we really had reason to doubt it, but Waddle has been as advertised thus far, and then some.
Loser: Marvin Mims Jr. | WR
Mims is not listed as a loser because of any specific negative plays, like a dropped pass or a mental miscue. It’s just that, with other receivers, including Waddle, shining, generating buzz, and earning plaudits from Payton, Mims didn’t really.
Mims is a similar receiver type as Waddle, but the newcomer made it clear how much separation exists between them in practice. Now, Mims is still important to the Broncos, especially as a returner, and Payton did compliment his clutch gene and contributions in big games, but you have to wonder how he fits into the game plan on offense. That question still hasn’t been answered.
Winner: J.K. Dobbins | RB
Dobbins was his usually talkative self at minicamp, but the fact that he was healthy and out there doing his thing is a major win for the Broncos. It’s good to have him part of the daily process at Broncos HQ again because he’s one of those veterans that takes players under his wing, and elevates them.
Winner: Que Robinson | OLB
With the recent off-the-field drama the Broncos have dealt with, some extra attention was paid to the Broncos’ outside linebackers. Robinson, in particular, separated himself during minicamp.
His get-off is something else, and he was dispruptive during the Broncos’ team periods. Vance Joseph has said he views Robinson as a “future starter.” Pending Cooper’s situation, the future could be now, though Elliss will also have something to say about that.
Robinson had one heck of an offseason. I’m really looking forward to his second year.
Loser: Jonathon Cooper | OLB
After being arrested twice in the span of a week, the Broncos excused Cooper from mandatory minicamp. It would seem the Broncos want to create some distance from Cooper until his legal troubles are resolved, one way or another.
It’s a shame, in more ways than one. Beyond what legal ramifications might await Cooper, he’s very likely to be suspended by the NFL, and the Broncos releasing him at some point is not outside the bounds of the plausible. It’s a good thing that rush linebacker room is stacked.
Winner: Matt Henningsen | DL
None of these winners has been quite as surprising as Henningsen. He made a huge play on Day 1 of minicamp, tipping a Sam Ehlinger pass and returning it to the house.
Henningsen followed that up with another disruptive Day 2. He’s gone from being an after thought in the Broncos’ defensive line conversation to establishing himself as a bona fide threat for the roster.
Loser: Jahdae Barron | CB
Like Mims, Barron wasn’t bad during the offseason; he just didn’t pop, really, in any way. He broke up one pass on Day 2 of minicamp, but beyond that, there wasn’t much to see.
It will be interesting to see how Barron performs in training camp. We know the Broncos have high expectations for him, and a role on defense, even if as a depth piece, will be created for him, but I was hoping to see more signs of a Year-2 leap by now.
Winner: Jonah Coleman | RB
Another as-advertised player. Coleman has proven he’s ready for the NFL, which was partly what attracted the Broncos to him in the draft.
Coleman stood out in a major way at minicamp and made it clear that the Broncos have more than just a J.K. Dobbins insurance policy on their hands. Coleman is a force to be reckoned with.
Winner: Tyler Onyedim | DL
Like Coleman the Broncos’ first pick in the 2026 draft has looked NFL-ready. The Broncos still haven’t signed Onyedim, but that didn’t stop him from participating in the offseason program, which is a good harbinger.
Rocking the No. 98 jersey, it’s easy to mistake Onyedim for the guy he was drafted to replace: John Franklin-Myers. That’s especially true when the rookie is out there making plays like JFM. Onyedim has earned praise from his teammates, including the All-Pro Zach Allen.
Winner: Evan Engram | TE
Engram looked very good in minicamp this week. He looked like a big, athletic, smooth, explosive receiver, which is what he’s been in the NFL.
Engram wasn’t really all those things in his first year with the Broncos, but I’m hopeful that Year 2 will be different for the two-time Pro Bowler. He’s had a good summer.
Winner: Troy Franklin | WR
Franklin seems like the obvious No. 3 receiver in the pecking order. That doesn’t mean he’ll get the No. 3 snaps on an exclusive basis, though.
As the Broncos’ No. 2 last year, Franklin wasn’t able to fully live up to that, although he took some big steps forward in his second year. As the No. 3, it’s more his natural spot and that should allow him to continue to thrive in the offense, especially with the connection he has with Bo Nix dating back to Oregon.
Winner: Sam Ehlinger | QB
Ehlinger had a great offseason. He looked way more comfortable and far sharper in the offense in what is his second go-around in Payton’s offense.
Ehlinger was sharp this summer, and if he can continue to build on the foundation he’s created, it could create some uncomfortable conversations at Broncos HQ.
Loser: Jarrett Stidham | QB
Stidham has been less noteworthy this summer, but that doesn’t mean he’s been bad. In comparison to Ehlinger, though, Stidham wasn’t as good, which is curious, considering his standing as the team’s primary backup since 2023.
If Ehlinger ends up leapfrogging Stidham, what do the Broncos do? They’re holding a competition for QB2, and they have to be prepared for the possibility of Ehlinger winning it, especially after his strong summer.
If Ehlinger forces this issue, Stidham could become expendable. Stidham is very unlikely to be a cut candidate because of his contract, but as a trade piece? There’s a reason the rumor mill has been active on the Stidham topic this offseason. It’s something to watch.
Sign up for our free Denver Broncos On SI newsletter, and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow
-
Detroit, MI8 minutes agoFirst responders honored after rescuing 12 people from capsized sailboats near Belle Isle
-
San Francisco, CA20 minutes agoOakland man faces hate crime charges for Castro District attack
-
Dallas, TX23 minutes agoAt least 4 injured after vehicle drives into Dallas crowd, driver arrested
-
Miami, FL28 minutes agoMiami Central students prepare for life changing trip to Zimbabwe amid funding challenges
-
Boston, MA35 minutes agoGiannis to Boston is a possibility. Should the Knicks be worried?
-
Denver, CO38 minutes agoDenver Public Schools’ decline in enrollment continues to reshape district
-
Seattle, WA43 minutes agoWoo twirls 7 scoreless innings in bounceback outing vs. Orioles
-
San Diego, CA50 minutes agoNASCAR makes history with inaugural Naval Base Coronado race
