Otto Porter

[GhostsOfGil]

The hate on Porter is so ridiculous. Way too much conjecture about Porters ability to play simply based on PT.

It was clear as day when the Washington drafted Porter and then chose to extend Webster that Porters opportunity to play would be minimal.

Add to that the time he missed in preseason to gain the coaches trust and you get the situation Porter currently finds himself in.

I've hated the pick from day one because I felt Noel presented a better opportunity to help this team long term, but it's far too early to get down on Porter simply because of your typical Wizards angst.

That said, it would do the Wizards some good to give Webster some rest and to let Porter get some burn against the softer part of our schedule.

No reason to burn Webster to the ground when he can be an important contributor in the playoffs.

I dont see how you can disagree with anything I posted about Porter. I didn't call him a bust nor did I question his future with this team. I stated that his production has been awful, so I'm not sure if he's earned more PT in a tightly contested playoff race.

[dckingsfan]

BTW, OUTSTANDING article on Porter and his future in DC:

http://www.csnwashington.com/basketball ... ay-wizards

That is a good article... it kind of takes us back to BPA vs. BPA for a system. I think that EG struggles with even understanding base level talent and bball IQ. So for him, taking the jump to BPA is tough and BPA for a system even tougher.

And what the article does miss is Porter on the defensive end. Not even a mention. And that is where rookies (and Porter) struggle the most. His D isn't close to Ariza's D. I think if his D was even marginally better than Webster's D he would get the backup minutes to Ariza and Webster would have to settle for the backup minutes to Beal. Porter hasn't looked lost on the defensive end of the court (and that is good) but he has looked a step slow. That should be remedied in year 2. And Witt rewards D, so he should get some minutes.

That is if Witt and EG are still here.

[Kanyewest]

Apologies if this has been posted, but as far as I can tell, since 1983, there's been one top-3 pick to average under 10 minutes per game his rookie season.

That player?

Darko Milicic.

Otto is on track to join an exclusive group.

That's pretty bad. I'm pretty sure though that the Wizards eagerly would have taken Anthony, Wade, or Bosh over Porter.

BTW, Darko was playing behind Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Okur, Elden Campbell and Corliss Williamson.

[dorkestra]

From the Wizards fan's perspective, is this mostly about the coach not being willing to give him time? Ariza and Webster are solid and trustworth veterans, and you know what you're getting with those guys. I guess I thought that Porter would be brought along with those guys showing him the ropes. How can you learn if you're not playing? This is the ignorant opinion of an outsider, but I'd like to know more about the reasoning from your collective perspective.

[Rafael122]

From the Wizards fan's perspective, is this mostly about the coach not being willing to give him time? Ariza and Webster are solid and trustworth veterans, and you know what you're getting with those guys. I guess I thought that Porter would be brought along with those guys showing him the ropes. How can you learn if you're not playing? This is the ignorant opinion of an outsider, but I'd like to know more about the reasoning from your collective perspective.

Other problem was injuries. He had no practice, preseason games, etc for about 3 months. That buried him. Who knows if Ariza would even be here had Porter had a healthy offseason. Can't play if you're that behind the 8-ball.

Next season will be the true test, he'll have Summer League, preseason, and an offseason to get bulkier.

[Nivek]

BTW, OUTSTANDING article on Porter and his future in DC:

http://www.csnwashington.com/basketball ... ay-wizards

That is a good article... it kind of takes us back to BPA vs. BPA for a system. I think that EG struggles with even understanding base level talent and bball IQ. So for him, taking the jump to BPA is tough and BPA for a system even tougher.

And what the article does miss is Porter on the defensive end. Not even a mention. And that is where rookies (and Porter) struggle the most. His D isn't close to Ariza's D. I think if his D was even marginally better than Webster's D he would get the backup minutes to Ariza and Webster would have to settle for the backup minutes to Beal. Porter hasn't looked lost on the defensive end of the court (and that is good) but he has looked a step slow. That should be remedied in year 2. And Witt rewards D, so he should get some minutes.

That is if Witt and EG are still here.

Like a lot of writers, I think he's learned the wrong lesson from the Spurs. You can't say "outside the obvious names..." the Spurs don't have elite talent. Well, they have those "obvious" names. They have elite talent. And, the secret of the Spurs is not this mystical fit thing or getting guys who fit into their system, it's that they keep acquiring good players.

What none of these writers EVER seem to address is that the Spurs radically changed their system a few years ago. They went from a slow-paced, methodical offense to a fast-paced, free-flowing system. But, they didn't make major personnel changes, and they were still among the league's best teams.

What the Spurs do well is getting good players. Good players have basketball skills and good basketball IQ. Good players figure out how to mesh talents. If there's a "magical fit" thing the Spurs do, it's that they don't kowtow to ego. Stephen Jackson was unhappy with his playing time last season, so they cut him on the eve of the playoffs.

The Spurs aren't good because of their "system." Unless we're talking about their process for evaluating and identifying good players.

(And, by the way, folks LOVE talking about Danny Green as a bad player the Spurs "discovered" and "developed." Balderdash. Green was a terrific (and colossally underrated) player in college. In YODA, his rating was that of a top 5-10 pick in most drafts.)

[dckingsfan]

BTW, OUTSTANDING article on Porter and his future in DC:

http://www.csnwashington.com/basketball ... ay-wizards

That is a good article... it kind of takes us back to BPA vs. BPA for a system. I think that EG struggles with even understanding base level talent and bball IQ. So for him, taking the jump to BPA is tough and BPA for a system even tougher.

And what the article does miss is Porter on the defensive end. Not even a mention. And that is where rookies (and Porter) struggle the most. His D isn't close to Ariza's D. I think if his D was even marginally better than Webster's D he would get the backup minutes to Ariza and Webster would have to settle for the backup minutes to Beal. Porter hasn't looked lost on the defensive end of the court (and that is good) but he has looked a step slow. That should be remedied in year 2. And Witt rewards D, so he should get some minutes.

That is if Witt and EG are still here.

Like a lot of writers, I think he's learned the wrong lesson from the Spurs. You can't say "outside the obvious names..." the Spurs don't have elite talent. Well, they have those "obvious" names. They have elite talent. And, the secret of the Spurs is not this mystical fit thing or getting guys who fit into their system, it's that they keep acquiring good players.

What none of these writers EVER seem to address is that the Spurs radically changed their system a few years ago. They went from a slow-paced, methodical offense to a fast-paced, free-flowing system. But, they didn't make major personnel changes, and they were still among the league's best teams.

What the Spurs do well is getting good players. Good players have basketball skills and good basketball IQ. Good players figure out how to mesh talents. If there's a "magical fit" thing the Spurs do, it's that they don't kowtow to ego. Stephen Jackson was unhappy with his playing time last season, so they cut him on the eve of the playoffs.

The Spurs aren't good because of their "system." Unless we're talking about their process for evaluating and identifying good players.

(And, by the way, folks LOVE talking about Danny Green as a bad player the Spurs "discovered" and "developed." Balderdash. Green was a terrific (and colossally underrated) player in college. In YODA, his rating was that of a top 5-10 pick in most drafts.)

Agreed with all that and Boris Diaw is another player that proves your point as well...

Funny article about how Pop makes sure the ball goes into the hands of those that can "effectively" score and makes sure the ball doesn't just end up in a random players hand. So, I think "system" does matter - along with a HOF player like Duncan

[Nivek]

I'm not saying system is meaningless. But, it's really the players who make the system work, not vice versa. The Spurs, for example, were going to be terrific running basically any professional offensive system. For the past 10-15 years, the Spurs have had for significant stretches two all-time greats (Duncan and Robinson), another bona fide Hall of Famer (Parker), and another guy who's been a top 10 guard (Ginobili). Yet we're supposed to believe it's some magical system making them win?

What the Spurs do better than other teams is a) finding good players the rest of the league has overlooked, and b) keeping their players from growing outsized egos.

Will say that coaching, system and teamwork matter a lot more on defense. That said, the same schemes and force rules and techniques they teach don't work quite as well without Tim Duncan. They're still sound defensive principals and they system is still good. But, you still need quality players.

[Upper Decker]

Spurs not having elite talent beyond the obvious names is pure idiocy. The writer compares the Wizards situation with the Spurs, but how did they not mold Kawhi Leonard to fit their system? He wasn’t considered a knock down shooter coming out of college, in fact, that was a massive strike against him. Now he’s a career .363 3-point shooter. He’s almost become a complete replica of Bruce Bowen, but on steroids. That article on Porter is poor.

[NbdyBeatsTheWiz]

(And, by the way, folks LOVE talking about Danny Green as a bad player the Spurs "discovered" and "developed." Balderdash. Green was a terrific (and colossally underrated) player in college. In YODA, his rating was that of a top 5-10 pick in most drafts.)

And, by the way, I love reading what you write, which is greatly enhanced by use of words like "balderdash."

[dckingsfan]

I'm not saying system is meaningless. But, it's really the players who make the system work, not vice versa.... What the Spurs do better than other teams is a) finding good players the rest of the league has overlooked, and b) keeping their players from growing outsized egos.

Agreed. My initial point was that EG has enough trouble just locating and evaluating any kind of talent - him taking the next step of finding players that fit into a system... just way past his complexity horizon. But you made the point better..

And to your second point - McGee, Blatche, NY, Crawford - enough said. That Witt has put his foot down... good for him.

Will say that coaching, system and teamwork matter a lot more on defense. That said, the same schemes and force rules and techniques they teach don't work quite as well without Tim Duncan. They're still sound defensive principals and they system is still good. But, you still need quality players.

Also agreed, also the point I tried to make. And that is that Porter will get more PT when he can figure out his defensive rotations better. And yes, you have to have good defensive players to make a defensive system work. I am sure that Boozer doesn't like TT much right now. Add Duncan to the Wiz and Pop would quit - literally.

[dckingsfan]

It would be nice to give Webster a couple of games off to get healthy.

I think this is a terrific point. Dude is hurting right now and he needs 7 to 10 days to get right. The timing of the Nene injury isn't great - hard to have two of your top 5 players out.

[Dark Faze]

I just hate how the media will literally make up stories and ask every question under the sun about the Redskins and not even ask a simple question to our coach and GM about what the plan was/is with Porter and Rice moving forward.

[Nivek]

(And, by the way, folks LOVE talking about Danny Green as a bad player the Spurs "discovered" and "developed." Balderdash. Green was a terrific (and colossally underrated) player in college. In YODA, his rating was that of a top 5-10 pick in most drafts.)

And, by the way, I love reading what you write, which is greatly enhanced by use of words like "balderdash."

You can thank the censors for that. I was going to use a different word that starts with a B.

[Nivek]

Spurs not having elite talent beyond the obvious names is pure idiocy. The writer compares the Wizards situation with the Spurs, but how did they not mold Kawhi Leonard to fit their system? He wasn’t considered a knock down shooter coming out of college, in fact, that was a massive strike against him. Now he’s a career .363 3-point shooter. He’s almost become a complete replica of Bruce Bowen, but on steroids. That article on Porter is poor.

I'm not seeing the Leonard/Bowen comparison. Leonard is a good rebounder, shoots much more frequently, takes 2pt shots, and gets almost twice as many steals. Bigger guy. Much better player overall. Danny Green is a better comp for Bowen, but Green's significantly better than Bowen as well.

I'm also not seeing how the Spurs "molded" Leonard to fit their system. They helped him become a good 3pt shooter. EVERY team, EVERY offensive system wants/needs good 3pt shooters. What the Spurs did was help Leonard develop a skill that made him into a better basketball player. That skill makes him useful in any team's system. Except maybe the Wizards because of that 2pt jumper fetish they seem to have.

[Kanyewest]

With Porter, it's going to take time. His BBIQ is high but his offensive game is really not there; when Porter plays the Wizards are playing 4 on 5. Problem with Porter is that he can't hit a jumper consistently. With teams backing off of him, it's going to be hard for him to create opportunities at the rim and get to the free throw line.

The situation isn't ideal now either. The Wizards are in a win now mode. Porter despite being younger, is less athletic than Ariza or Webster. He can't knock down 3s consistently which make him a poor fit to play with Wall.

I am worried about Porter's development. Not sure if Washington is capable of developing Porter like San Antonio did with Leonard. Maybe the Wizards have their priorities mixed up. Maybe they think Porter should be getting stronger, IMO Porter should be improving his jumper conditioning. Perhaps it takes a full offseason for Porter to get on track although I hope that Porter is improving his game in practice since he's not improving it on the court.

Ideally, Porter would be able to shoot his way out of the slump and getting 12 minutes per game. Still, the Wizards are concerned with winning now since Wittman and EG's jobs are on the line.

[AFM]

Well he should get some time tonight. We'll probably win by 40.

[hands11]

Spurs not having elite talent beyond the obvious names is pure idiocy. The writer compares the Wizards situation with the Spurs, but how did they not mold Kawhi Leonard to fit their system? He wasn’t considered a knock down shooter coming out of college, in fact, that was a massive strike against him. Now he’s a career .363 3-point shooter. He’s almost become a complete replica of Bruce Bowen, but on steroids. That article on Porter is poor.

I'm not seeing the Leonard/Bowen comparison. Leonard is a good rebounder, shoots much more frequently, takes 2pt shots, and gets almost twice as many steals. Bigger guy. Much better player overall. Danny Green is a better comp for Bowen, but Green's significantly better than Bowen as well.

I'm also not seeing how the Spurs "molded" Leonard to fit their system. They helped him become a good 3pt shooter. EVERY team, EVERY offensive system wants/needs good 3pt shooters. What the Spurs did was help Leonard develop a skill that made him into a better basketball player. That skill makes him useful in any team's system. Except maybe the Wizards because of that 2pt jumper fetish they seem to have.

What SA has been able to do because they have been very good is bring in their young talent and integrate them into a core starting in year one. They did it with Duncan. They did it with Parker.

They get them off to a really good introduction into the league, then grow them in that environment.

Now they are going it with Kawhi.

Its what happens after Duncan is done that is the big question. He is still the heart of that team. Not so easy to replace a Duncan. They don't come around very often. At that point, its going to take Kawhi being a legit stud to carry them if they are going to remain good.

Wall did not have that benefit. For Beal it was better but the Wizards still sucked to start last year. And now Otto came into things injured and behind the curve. But they should be able to grow him up on a playoff level team next year.

Its the next draft pick the Wizards make ( only a 2nd ) that will finally come into a healthy environment. That's if they can keep this going over the off season.

[hands11]

With Porter, it's going to take time. His BBIQ is high but his offensive game is really not there; when Porter plays the Wizards are playing 4 on 5. Problem with Porter is that he can't hit a jumper consistently. With teams backing off of him, it's going to be hard for him to create opportunities at the rim and get to the free throw line.

The situation isn't ideal now either. The Wizards are in a win now mode. Porter despite being younger, is less athletic than Ariza or Webster. He can't knock down 3s consistently which make him a poor fit to play with Wall.

I am worried about Porter's development. Not sure if Washington is capable of developing Porter like San Antonio did with Leonard. Maybe the Wizards have their priorities mixed up. Maybe they think Porter should be getting stronger, IMO Porter should be improving his jumper conditioning. Perhaps it takes a full offseason for Porter to get on track although I hope that Porter is improving his game in practice since he's not improving it on the court.

Ideally, Porter would be able to shoot his way out of the slump and getting 12 minutes per game. Still, the Wizards are concerned with winning now since Wittman and EG's jobs are on the line.

I think they are concerned with stabilizing the team as a good level and making the playoffs as high as they can this year. To start next year, Otto will be easier to integrate. And he should be more physically and mentally ready.

He red shirted this year. That's ok. Just consider him there first round pick for next year and it was this year we didn't get one.

[dckingsfan]

Except maybe the Wizards because of that 2pt jumper fetish they seem to have.

2 pt jumpers seem so dirty now - I don't think I will ever look at Beal and Wall the same way