Porter Jr. hopes to be ready for Nuggets' season opener

Michael Porter Jr. is aiming to be recovered from his back operation when the Denver Nuggets open their season on Oct. 17.

"I finally feel, like, good," the No. 14 pick in June's draft told ESPN's Chris Forsberg on Sunday.

"I don't have a date but I'm hoping to be back for the beginning of the year. Gotta heal up, but I feel great."

Porter underwent a second back operation in July, eight months after a microdiscectomy derailed his lone college season at Missouri. As a result of playing just three games for the Tigers, his draft stock dropped substantially.

The Nuggets didn't provide a timetable for Porter's recovery after the July procedure.

"I'm able to get on the court a little bit right now, do some different things," he said. "But my rehab has definitely been very conservative. They're really taking it easy with me, being patient with me."

If healthy, Porter has star potential for the Nuggets. At 6-foot-11 with a seven-foot wingspan, his offensive skill set has drawn comparisons to Kevin Durant.