A quick Q&A with myself on the status of Michael Porter Jr's injury and what it means for Missouri.
Q: Wait Michael Porter Jr. is injured?
A: Yep, after only two minutes and two points for Missouri he went to the bench where he remained for the rest of the game. He did not return to the court in any of Missouri's subsequent games either.
Q: Is it serious?
A: Very, he suffered herniated discs in the L3-L4 discs in his spine and recently had surgery to repair it and will take 3-4 months to heal meaning he will most likely miss the remainder of the season.
Q: Will he declare for the NBA draft after only two minutes of collegiate action?
A: Maybe or maybe not. He posted a message Instagram saying that he would "be back" but, whether that refers to the basketball court in general or Mizzou specifically remains to be seen.
Q: Should he go pro?
A: Honestly it depends on where he is thinks he will be drafted. If he thinks he will be taken in the lottery, with one of the first fourteen picks, then yes definitely. A team drafting him that early will take the time to develop him, time that he may need considering his limited college experience. If he thinks he may go later than that he should stick around and remind NBA scouts all of the potential he showed in high school. All that being said one of the most important things he has to consider is the fear of future injury. Being tagged with the injury-prone label in college could hurt his draft stock going forward. Also it would be preferable to get another serious injury in the pros as opposed to college since even rookies have guaranteed contracts worth millions of dollars.
Q: How will this affect Missouri's season?
A: It puts a pretty serious damper on how good they can be this season. Preseason Mizzou was considered (at least by Mizzou fans) to be a darker horse final four contender. Now though even the chance of making the tournament is far from certain.
Q: Are there any positives at all this situation?
A: Well some of the players behind Porter on the depth chart get a chance to show their stuff, including Jordan Barnett, Kevin Puryear, and Porter's brother, Jontay, who has looked terrific so far. Also if Michael Porter Jr. does decide to come back he could absolutely dominate and Mizzou could be a serious national title contender.