2019 Draft, Pick #30 - Kevin Porter Jr., USC

[Out of the Rafters at the Q]

JR Smith always had a better shot then KPJ at the same age. KPJ has better handles then JR Smith had. KPJ is a grittier defenfer then JR Smith ever was. So yes it is a lazy comparison. Troubled kids who like to get buckets is the same. But the way they get the buckets and the willingness to play defense are different. If we wanna stick with crazy people OJ Mayo would be a better comp for KPJ.

KPJ shot .412 from 3 in his only season in college, on 3.2 attempts per game.

JR shot .288 from 3 in his first year in the NBA, on 3.7 attempts per game.

Not a perfect comparison, but the closest you're going to get.

Throwing out things like "JR Smith always had a better shot then [sic] KPJ at the same age" without anything to back it up is silly... or lazy, as you like to call things.

KPJ never showed the level of talent OJ Mayo showed. We remember him poorly now due to his awful pro career, but the guy had some serious talent as a prospect.

 

[cabs]

There is so much hype around this kid its crazy. I understand he was a top 10 pick like 4 months ago but he did slide to 30.. there is probably some genuine reasons for it

 

[NMCav]

KPJ shot .412 from 3 in his only season in college, on 3.2 attempts per game.

JR shot .288 from 3 in his first year in the NBA, on 3.7 attempts per game.

Not a perfect comparison, but the closest you're going to get.

Throwing out things like "JR Smith always had a better shot then [sic] KPJ at the same age" without anything to back it up is silly... or lazy, as you like to call things.

KPJ never showed the level of talent OJ Mayo showed. We remember him poorly now due to his awful pro career, but the guy had some serious talent as a prospect.

Bringing up a HS kid getting thrown into the NBA fire? College 3 point line is shorter then the NBA 3 point line. Makes me wonder if KPJ hit any NBA threes or if he was hitting what would be long 2s in the NBA.

KPJ actually shot a better percentage from the field and slightly better 3 point percentage then OJ. They play similar games offensively and both actually averaged more turnovers then assists. Their really is no perfect comparison for KPJ.

He's not JR Smith, hes not OJ Mayo, hes not DeShawn Stevenson, hes not Ricky Davis. At the end of the day he's Kevin Porter Jr. he has elements of all those peoples games and has the same maturity issues those guys had. But he's not a JR Smith clone despite what some people say or the media says. It really is a lazy comparison because aside from immaturity they had different style of games even as prospects. KPJ tries to play like Harden without the passing. He's not Harden that much is obvious. But he's far from JR in terms of play style wise.

 

[cabs]

Hope he isn’t like Ben McLemore

 

[Jordan]

Hope he isn’t like Ben McLemore

The good news is he was the 30th pick in the draft... the cost is not all that high, even if he does look like McLemore.

 

[Cavatt]

The good news is he was the 30th pick in the draft... the cost is not all that high, even if he does look like McLemore.

I was wondering if he was the pick or Bol. I keep coming back to Porter Jr being a great risk reward guy. Bol was supposedly coming back with bad medicals with red flags everywhere, which is a real shame, and I do hope his career isn't over before it starts.

The surprising thing to me was that the rumor is that Bol has worse maturity and entitlement issues than Porter Jr.

Porter Jr has a good body, can finish through contact, and he can shoot the 3. I think if he fails for us it is because he sees himself as the #1 guy on the team. I am hoping Beilein's strong culture can counteract that.

Cavs were high on Porter Jr and wanted to trade up for him, so the fact they got him for 30 is really amazing and I think his talent is definitely higher than 30. The one thing I am worried about is that Koby has a type and it is a guy who needs the ball in his hands and thinks he is the greatest iso scorer there is. Clarkson, Sexton, Hood etc. Porter and garland also sort of fall into this mold. We know you can have too many of these guys.

Porter has one of the tightest handles in the draft especially for his size, so he can be a good complement and a 2 guard of the future if he can hit his catch and shoot opportunities or he can be our new Clarkson once we turn Jordan into picks.

 

[NMCav]

I was wondering if he was the pick or Bol. I keep coming back to Porter Jr being a great risk reward guy. Bol was supposedly coming back with bad medicals with red flags everywhere, which is a real shame, and I do hope his career isn't over before it starts.

The surprising thing to me was that the rumor is that Bol has worse maturity and entitlement issues than Porter Jr.

Porter Jr has a good body, can finish through contact, and he can shoot the 3. I think if he fails for us it is because he sees himself as the #1 guy on the team. I am hoping Beilein's strong culture can counteract that.

Cavs were high on Porter Jr and wanted to trade up for him, so the fact they got him for 30 is really amazing and I think his talent is definitely higher than 30. The one thing I am worried about is that Koby has a type and it is a guy who needs the ball in his hands and thinks he is the greatest iso scorer there is. Clarkson, Sexton, Hood etc. Porter and garland also sort of fall into this mold. We know you can have too many of these guys.

Porter has one of the tightest handles in the draft especially for his size, so he can be a good complement and a 2 guard of the future if he can hit his catch and shoot opportunities or he can be our new Clarkson once we turn Jordan into picks.

I read a article that the Cavs were more comfortable with KPJ's character then they were with Bol Bol's character. Thats really telling to me. Apparently the foot healed up fine for Bol Bol but teams were turned off by maturity concerns and if he can ever add weight to his rail thin frame. Cavaliers did a ton of work on KPJ. Garland and Sexton can both play off ball some, I believe the long term goal is to have Collin and Garland be the primary ball handlers and have KPJ be the third guy on the court but for this to happen he needs to develop his off the ball game. We all know if KPJ goes iso he can get buckets but he needs to learn how to both pass more willingly and move around when hes off ball to try to get open for catch and shoot opportunities.

 

[Los216]

I read a article that the Cavs were more comfortable with KPJ's character then they were with Bol Bol's character. Thats really telling to me. Apparently the foot healed up fine for Bol Bol but teams were turned off by maturity concerns and if he can ever add weight to his rail thin frame. Cavaliers did a ton of work on KPJ. Garland and Sexton can both play off ball some, I believe the long term goal is to have Collin and Garland be the primary ball handlers and have KPJ be the third guy on the court but for this to happen he needs to develop his off the ball game. We all know if KPJ goes iso he can get buckets but he needs to learn how to both pass more willingly and move around when hes off ball to try to get open for catch and shoot opportunities.

Garland, Sexton, and KPJ is a really small team to run out there.

 

[NMCav]

Garland, Sexton, and KPJ is a really small team to run out there.

I am not suggesting they all start together. But every team plays small ball and KPJ is 6-6 with a 6-9 wingspan. He can play SF for stretches of a game in todays NBA.

 

[Cavatt]

Garland, Sexton, and KPJ is a really small team to run out there.

Yeah I think one of them is destined to go to the bench or be traded. Maybe Porter never makes it in the NBA, but I really am intrigued by him.

 

[Cavatt]

I am not suggesting they all start together. But every team plays small ball and KPJ is 6-6 with a 6-9 wingspan. He can play SF for stretches of a game in todays NBA.

Are you more worried about KPJ at the 3 or Sexton at the 2? I would probably say Sexton.

 

[Jordan]

Are you more worried about KPJ at the 3 or Sexton at the 2? I would probably say Sexton.

I actually think Sexton's fairly sizable wingspan will allow him to guard 2s just as well as he can guard 1s.

 

[Real Deal]

Garland, Sexton, and KPJ is a really small team to run out there.

I like a rotation of KPJr subbing in for one of the guards but not all 3 together. KPJr probably won't get much burn at all until JC is moved.

 

[Cavatt]

I actually think Sexton's fairly sizable wingspan will allow him to guard 2s just as well as he can guard 1s.

Poorly then? Really I am still blaming the bad D on Longabardi. I really think his scheme sucks. Bickerstaff has a lot of work to do as a defensive guy.

I think you are right. Sexton was supposed to have defensive upside. I hope we see it. One thing he did as the year went on that I really liked was that he did use his speed to stop the ball a lot at the end of the year. He didn't even try at the beginning.

 

[Jordan]

Poorly then? Really I am still blaming the bad D on Longabardi. I really think his scheme sucks. Bickerstaff has a lot of work to do as a defensive guy.

I think you are right. Sexton was supposed to have defensive upside. I hope we see it. One thing he did as the year went on that I really liked was that he did use his speed to stop the ball a lot at the end of the year. He didn't even try at the beginning.

Haha!

Yeah, what I meant to say is that I do not think Sexton guarding two-guards is this tremendous disadvantage people are making it out to seem. He may never be a good defender, but I do not think that is easier for two-guards to exploit than ones.

I hope Sexton becomes a good defender. I just never saw the defensive upside others did. He tried really hard in college and was still a net-negative defender. He probably has the work-ethic to be passable on defense, but that really depends a lot on the scheme and how the coach is using him.