Could Kevin Porter Jr. become a local star for the Blazers?

Since Brandon Roy had to retire, the Portland Trail Blazers have not had not had a player from the Pacific Northwest put on the red, white, and black. While the Blazers have done fine regardless, it would be great for the fans to have a homegrown kid to root for. According to Sam Vecenie of The Athletic’s most recent mock draft, Kevin Porter Jr. could be the right man.

After starring at Seattle’s Rainier Beach High School, he spent an up and down freshman at USC. As one of the most polarizing prospects in this draft, he has a wide draft range. If he somehow falls to Portland at the 25th pick, Neil Olshey will have to decide whether his top 5 talent is worth all of the potential headaches.

Measures

Height: 6’5″
Wingspan: 6’9″
Weight: 212
Year: Freshman
Age: 19.1

Stats

Points: 9.5
Rebounds: 4.0
Assists: 1.4
Steals: 0.8
Blocks: 0.5
Turnovers: 1.9
2FG: 51.7%
3PT: 41.2%
FT: 52.2%
Minutes: 22.1
Games played/started: 21/4

Strengths

When in the right mindset, Porter Jr. can do just about everything. He has a great frame for a modern wing with a great combination of strength and speed which could buoy his ability to finish at the hoop. Porter Jr. arguably has the most advanced shot creation skills in his draft class, highlighted by his step back jumper. When you combine this with his flashes of distribution skills, you have someone who could have the entire offensive package.

Porter Jr. did not show many consistent defensive positives throughout the year. However, when focused and aggressive (which was extremely rare), he made some eye opening plays that showcased his potential on this end of the court.

Weaknesses

On the court, Porter Jr.’s weaknesses on the court largely consist of defense. His fundamentals are tough to watch, whether it be guarding his man or off the ball. Porter Jr. also somehow is overly aggressive and too passive at the same time, wildly misjudging when to make plays. If he reaches his potential, that will involve him becoming a positive defender. Additionally, tweaking his shot release slightly could help him massively, especially at the free throw line.

But all of these concerns are essentially mute compared to his off-court issues. He was benched and suspended from USC this year for undisclosed reasons, and despite his talent, did not start for the majority of the season. There are also concerns about his maturity level and his off-court issues. These are MAJOR concerns for NBA teams, one that keeps a player of his talent completely off some teams draft boards.

Fit

As you are most likely well aware, the Blazers have a lot of upcoming free agents, especially at the guard/wing spots. Porter Jr. has the size and ability to play either shooting guard or small forward. The hope is that with such a good locker room and support system, he will be able to mature under the guidance of players such as Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. If Porter Jr. is able to hone in on his sky high potential, he could be part of a high octane bench scoring duo with Anfernee Simons and a steal for the Portland Trail Blazers.