A well-deserved recognition for Otto Porter
NBA Update – There hasn’t been much to be happy about in the nation’s capital as a Washington Wizards fan, but one major positive has been the play of Otto Porter.
Porter landed on the map in the 2015 playoffs when former head coach Randy Wittman finally made the decision to move Paul Pierce to power forward and Porter at small forward. From then on, the three-year man out of Georgetown has grown significantly every season and his production thus far in the 2016-17 season is catching the eye of executives.
Two front office execs in last 24 hours predicted to me he’s getting a max. He’s been really good. https://t.co/fhUpOLY5UQ
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) December 6, 2016
In 34.7 minutes per game this season, Porter is averaging career-highs of 14.7 points on 53.5 percent shooting, 8.1 rebounds, and two steals per game.
The team’s struggles are certainly not because of his play. In year’s past, the criticism with Porter was his inconsistency in that he would have two really good games and then fade off for the next four. So far, he’s had just four games (of 19) in which he failed to score in double figures. Three of those games included a nine-point finish and two eight-point finishes.
Against Boston in early November, Porter exploded for a career-high 34 points and 14 rebounds as he shot 14-for-19 from the field and 3-for-5 from three.
The only distinct reasoning behind his vast improvement this season deals with confidence. Pierce deserves major credit for helping Porter become more confident with his abilities. Before Pierce came, Porter had a rookie season in which he recorded 2.1 points in 8.6 minutes per game. Those aren’t exactly statistics fans want to see from a guy their used the No. 3 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft to get.
The Wizards decided not to extend Porter’s contract prior to this season, making him a restricted free agent this summer. While this still gives the Wizards a chance to match any opposing team’s offer, they aren’t exactly working with a ton of cap space this summer. If a team would be willing to offer the max for Porter, the Wizard will have to watch him walk away unless they make substantial moves to free up the books.
For their sake, keeping Porter next to the backcourt of Wall and Bradley Beal should be a priority, especially with his continued progression. Porter is the perfect complement to the two, but with Beal signing a max last summer and Wall expected to finally cash out when he becomes a free agent in 2019 it comes down to the elimination game.
The team obviously wants to keep trying to get this Wall and Beal backcourt, already established as one of the league’s best, so Porter would be the odd man out in that equation. But for any team fortunate enough to sign him, it would be a major addition, even if they already had two established stars.
Porter’s playing style doesn’t butt heads with any ball-dominant guard or big man. He is tremendous at playing off the ball and roaming around the mid-range area. He currently has a .620 true shooting percentage and is converting on 50 percent of his shots from 10-16 feet.
Where he has become extremely valuable is his ability to knock down three’s. Here are his progressions from his rookie season to this season in terms of three-point percentage:
2013-14: .190
2014-15:.337
2015-16: .367
2016-17: .414
Playing with Wall is a huge plus for Porter because it allows him to stand in the corner and allow Wall to get him open shots, but again, he could do this on any team next to a star player. He isn’t necessarily forcing the issue with his shots; he’s just converting on the shots that he would miss in the past.
The term ‘max player’ has pretty much lost all credibility since last summer’s cap boom, but Porter is different. He doesn’t compare to the top small forward in the league, but he certainly can have a huge impact on the game, and if that means his asking price will be a max deal next summer, he’ll get it.
Category: Basketball
