DCZards wrote:stevemcqueen1 wrote:
Porter looks like he has good upper body strength. He's got good muscle tone. He's just got no bulk and has a skinny base.
But he gets it done. That kind of defines him for me:
- Didn't play AAU, still ended up a top college player and NBA prospect.
- Not that strong nor a leaper, but he gets a TON of rebounds outside his area.
- Not fast and looks awkward when he runs, but he creates space for himself to shoot and finishes well in transition.
- Got a funny looking jumper but it goes in.
People are always going to be wondering how he's as good as he is throughout his career because he's so unconventional. But he's going to play winning basketball and get great results in spite of being an abnormal player. He's just figured out what works for himself and mastered his own approach to the game. He's an odd bird.
Excellent description of Porter's game. Unconventional and awkward as hell but knows how to play winning basketball on both ends of the court. Otto is a highly-instinctive player as well as a poised facilitator who will help make his teammates better.
There are a lot of options out there for the Zards with third pick (including trades) but right now drafting Porter, assuming the Cavs don't take him, is option #1 , imo.
I'm gravitating to this as well. I'd probably go Noel #1 if he's there, Porter #2, Zeller #3. I've got Noel at one because I think he can be a game changing defensive big like Joakim Noah. Porter at #2 as the best two way player for us at three. Zeller #3 as a high upside offensive big man who won't be total crap on D. In fact, I think Zeller ends up a solid defensive big man because of his intelligence and athleticism.
I agree that what makes Porter special are his elite instincts. He anticipates the game so well. He makes a lot of big plays in spite of his ordinary athleticism. He does everything right. Big communicator on D that can lock it down and force turnovers. I think he's probably the third best defensive player among the high lotto guys behind Noel and Dipo. And he's a better offensive player than both of them, he has very advanced skills from mid range and for finishing in transition. He torched the Syracuse zone when that thing really bothered a lot of people this year. He just had the keys to unlocking it with his tremendously diverse mid range game. I'd say him and Bazz have the best mid range games among the likely lottery picks, followed by Burke and McCollum. Porter can post up too and will generate some offense out of the high post. And Porter is a far better passer than Bazz so he's a more complete offensive player.
I think Porter is the most skilled and holistic offensive perimeter player in the class. He's the most well rounded because he does all of these things at a high level:
- Highly effective creating and scoring off the dribble.
- Highly effective finisher in transition with a good command of a variety of moves and great below the rim game.
- Reliable spot up shooter.
- Excellent off the ball ability, very important for playing with John Wall (and something Bennett lacks).
- Excellent passer, can facilitate the offense from the perimeter and in the open court, keeps the ball moving.
- Excellent generating contact in the lane and getting to the FT line.
- Excellent at sniffing out offensive boards for extra possessions and getting hustle points.
Guys like Zeller, Bazz , McLemore, Bennett, and Dipo are also very offensively skilled and they too are masters of some of those things. But they aren't as good at all of those things as Porter is.
So I'm thinking Porter is the best two way option for us at three.
Like Zeller, he's squeaky clean for me. No significant weaknesses as a player, just body or athleticism limitations. Those guys bring a lot of great things to the table and they take nothing away from it. They could fit in great with every team in the league. We've got some long term structures (and barriers) we have to build around now--Wall at PG, Beal at SG, Nene at a big spot. Having a guy who can come in and fit into our construction seamlessly is important.
a synergy correction. Just a thought.
I love how PPA is a justifiable measure of ranking people around here now. With that said, I doubt Wall will consistently play at or near that level. He was hitting ~60% of his jump shots that month.
