Is the risk of Kevin Porter Jr worth the potential high reward for the OKC Thunder?
By Alex Mcewen
Skills
Porter Jr’s best asset is his smooth shooting stroke, the freshman connected on 41.2 percent of his 68 3-Point attempts. Porter Jr’s collegiate 3-Point percentage was greater than all 14 players on the Thunder during the 2018-19 season who attended college.
The Thunder’s most glaring weakness roster-wise was lack of shooting. All their shooting flaws cannot be solved with a single addition, but Porter Jr. would a good place to start.
| Season | G | MP | FGA | FG% | 2P% | 3P% | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 21 | 22.1 | 7.5 | .471 | .517 | .412 | .522 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 1.9 | 9.5 |
| Career | 21 | 22.1 | 7.5 | .471 | .517 | .412 | .522 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 1.9 | 9.5 |
Provided by CBB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 6/16/2019.
Kevin Porter Jr. - SG, 6’6” from USC.
— Kenny (@noodsexual) May 18, 2019
Pros:
Shooter.
Playmaker.
Rebounder.
Defender.
Shot blocker.
Athlete.
Have a significant upside.
Cons:
Streaky shooter.
FT shooting.
Wild offensively.
Can’t play off-ball.
Undisciplined defensively.
Foul prone.
Suspended.
Inconsistent. pic.twitter.com/FPxgf6kJ06
Weaknesses
The largest deficiency in Porter Jr’s actual game is his free throw shooting. Connecting on just 52.2 percent of his 46 foul shot attempts is alarming. Last season, the OKC Thunder collectively shot 71.3 percent from the charity stripe, ranking 28th in the association.
Hence, Porter Jr. would only add to one of Oklahoma City’s greatest flaws. Rather than help alleviate the problem.
Another area of concern for Porter Jr. is he faced a suspension for personal misconduct. Which, could lead to other discipline issues down the line or chemistry disruption within the locker room. With that said, in Porter Jr’s defense; his father was murdered when he was only a toddler. Therefore, he lacked a father figure for many years.
Kevin Porter Jr. has been getting mentored for the the NBA by Seattle native pros like Zach Lavine, Jamal Crawford and Isaiah Thomas since he was 15. You can really see that Seattle brand of basketball in his game. He has number 1 scoring option potential.
— Wolves Draft (@WolvesDenNBA) May 15, 2019
That is until he developed a relationship with NBA veteran and Seattle legend Jamal Crawford. While Porter Jr was attending high school, Crawford took an interest in the talented prospect. Jamal began mentoring Porter Jr. providing needed guidance and support for a young man who lost his dad far too soon.