Brooklyn Nets: Why Targeting Otto Porter in Free Agency is Logical
Dec 30, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards forward Otto Porter Jr. (22) shoots the ball over Brooklyn Nets guard Bojan Bogdanovic (44) in the first quarter at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Otto Porter’s rookie contract with the Washington Wizards is set to run out this July. With the Brooklyn Nets having handed out large offer sheets to several restricted free agents recently, Porter should be a candidate for a near max offer sheet from Marks and company this summer.
After being selected with the third pick in the infamous 2013 NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards, Otto Porter struggled in adjusting to the professional game. He failed to start a game in his rookie season and shot an abysmal 19 percent from behind the arc over that time span.
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However, a common theme throughout Porter’s basketball career has been consistent improvement. Porter went from only starting 13 games his rookie season to becoming a reliable fixture in the Wizards’ starting lineup as of recent.
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With Porter posting career-highs in almost every statistical category through 35 games this season, he has shown that he is worthy of receiving a large contract this summer. Two players from his draft class, CJ McCollum and Kyrie Irving, have already signed max deals. The pressure will certainly be on this summer for Washington or another team to offer a max contract to the 6-foot-9 swingman.
With reports about the Nets possibly pursuing Porter already surfacing, here is why Brooklyn’s new regime should place the former Georgetown Hoya at the top of their priority list this offseason.
Consistent Improvement
Porter appears to have taken a similar path at every stage of his basketball career. Coming from a small town in Missouri, he was forced to start from the bottom in order to garner national attention from notable programs. At this level, he was able to work his way up and earn All-State honors as a junior and senior, in addition to leading his team to a State Championship. This type of production landed him a spot in the top 50 recruits in the nation and an offer to play for John Thompson III at Georgetown.
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The former Hoya put up mediocre numbers in his first season with Georgetown and was certainly not thought of as a lottery pick at this point in his career. He then exploded in his sophomore season, leading the Hoyas to a number two seed in the NCAA tournament while putting up 16.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per contest.
Porter took his time to develop once again in the pros. Despite being drafted in the top three by a team that was in desperate need for small forward help, Porter showed little promise early on in his career. Yet, he once again put in the work and has been able to improve every season, like he has since his youth.
Simply looking at his professional yearly points and rebounds per game averages alone, Porter has put up; 2.1-1.5, 6.0-2.0, 11.6-5.2, and 14.2-6.6 in each of his four seasons in Washington. This season alone has included multiple double-doubles and two 30-point outings in what is looking to be a breakout campaign.
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It is clear that he puts in the work and is not afraid of people telling him he’s not good enough to succeed. This mentality seems to have been developed at a young age. In an interview with SI.com’s Dan Greene, Porter’s father explained how even in middle school, Porter would play against fully grown men at a local gym saying, “They’d beat you up, no doubt about that, and you weren’t expected to cry about it either.”
There is little reason to believe that Porter’s development will stop anytime soon as he has mastered every level of basketball competition in his career so far. The possibilities are endless, and a bit optimism is certainly something that is needed within the Nets organization in the coming years.
Dec 5, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Washington Wizards forward Otto Porter Jr. (22) shoots the ball as Brooklyn Nets forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (24) defends during the second half at Barclays Center. The Wizards won 118-113. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports
Fits the Nets’ Criteria
Perhaps the most important factor in Brooklyn’s pursuit of Porter is his fit in the Nets’ new style of play. He has the potential to be the long-term solution at the starting small forward spot that Brooklyn desperately needs.
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Despite some preconceived notions about Porter’s shooting from three-point range, this attribute has improved greatly, like most attributes within his skillset. This season, Porter is not only averaging the most threes attempted per game in his career (four), but he is also connecting on an astounding 43 percent of them. This is currently good for 10th best in the NBA, better than famed three-point marksmen such as Kyrie Irving and Kyle Korver. For Porter, shooting this efficiently is quite the leap from shooting 19 percent in his rookie season.
One of Porter’s few sustained attributes has been his overwhelming wingspan, and as a result, his defensive prowess. His long arms combined with a 6-foot-9 frame make him a force to be reckoned with for any wing scorer. He could easily match up with wings such as Carmelo Anthony and DeMar DeRozan, who the Nets would be playing on a consistent basis. A wing tandem of Porter and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson would be one of the most lethal defensive duos in the league.
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Porter seems to fit exactly what Kenny Atkinson is looking for in a wing; a player who can shoot efficiently while competing hard on defensive possessions. His athleticism and room to grow on both ends of the floor only further the case for Porter being a player that Atkinson and the Nets’ coaching staff can truly mold into the prototypical “modern day Brooklyn Net.”
Washington’s Salary Predicament
Marks and the Nets’ front office have appeared to be anything but shy when throwing offer sheets at restricted free agents. All three attempts in the past have fallen short. However, the Nets’ front office should not be deterred by this, as Porter could very well end up in Brooklyn next season if Marks and company play their cards right.
The Wizards are currently $10 million over the salary cap limit and will still be a few million over when this July rolls around. Signing Porter to the money he is asking for would put them over the cap for the foreseeable future.
Essentially, if the Wizards were to match the near max level offer sheet that Porter is expected to receive, then they would be putting a lot of stock in a John Wall, Bradley Beal and Otto Porter core to eventually lead them to success. This scenario would put a lot of pressure on Washington’s front office, as inconsistency has been a huge theme for this era of Wizards basketball.
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