The Washington Wizards have the opportunity to make the NBA finals this year, but that will largely depend on the play of one individual; Otto Porter Jr.
What do the best teams in the NBA consist of? A Big Three.
The Washington Wizards back court will be one of the best in the league. Bradley Beal and John Wall have been a fantastic duo that has brought prestige back to the Wizards franchise. Both individuals produced All-Star numbers and will be sure to do so again this coming season.
However, in order for the Wizards to take the next step another player needs to arise and cease the moment. That player is Otto Porter Jr.
Porter is entering his sixth season. He was drafted 3rd overall in 2013 as a defender that the Wizards coveted at the time, but has turned out to be so much more. Coming out of college, Porter needed to improve his jump-shot and he did just that. His mid-range game became much better than anticipated along with his defensive skills.
For the past three seasons Porter has averaged 11.6, 13.4, and 14.7 points per game. His field goal percentage has been consistent, shooting .473%, .516%, and .503%. Porter also shot 44.1% from deep for the past 2 seasons allowing him to finish top-5 in 3-point shooting percentage. This has largely flown under the radar and been fantastic for the Wizards.
It only benefits Porter now that the team is making it a priority to shoot more 3’s. The Wizards averaged 107.2 points per game. Shooting more 3’s not only will increase Porter’s average but the team’s as well.
As you can see, Porter’s numbers have steadily progressed through the years, but a drastic jump needs to happen this year. Ideally a stat line of 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists is what Porter needs to average. If Porter could flirt with these type of numbers or better every game, then that would propel him to the next tier where the team needs him to be.
Scott Brooks is challenging Porter to take more triples, lead, and become an even better defender.
https://twitter.com/WashWizards/status/1044697163413024768
In order for the Wizards to reach their full potential, Porter knows that he will need to be more aggressive on both sides of the ball. Porter needs to instill the mindset of someone like Klay Thompson, who currently is the 3rd option for the Golden State Warriors. Besides Andre Iguodala, Thompson is the best defender on the team. His job is to shoot the ball whenever he can and defend the opposing teams first or second option.
This is exactly how Porter needs to play. If he has the right mindset, there’s no question that Porter will be better defender than Thompson and most of the league for that matter.
Porter missed Game 6 of the playoffs last season against the Toronto Raptors due to minor procedure relieving a build up of blood around the contusion in his left leg. This dwindled the changes of the Wizards hopes of advancing in the series significantly. A healthy Porter changes the dynamic of the game and most likely propels the Wizards into a Game 7.
If Porter can support Wall and Beal with these types of numbers than the Wizards will be tough to match-up with on a nightly basis. Having three players average well above 15 points per game would make the Wizards a viable threat to be in the Eastern Conference Championship.
In addition, this will allow the team to give a variety of different looks both offensively and defensively. With the addition of Dwight Howard, the team can go big and have Porter play the three or if they want to play small ball, Porter can play the four. All this presents a difficult time for opposing teams to predict.
Wall and Beal don’t have to be the only leaders on this team. They crave an opportunity at a championship more than anything else and know that in order to get there Porter will need to play a big role.
The fact that Brooks and the coaching staff are challenging him more shows that they have the same perspective. All signs point to Porter taking his game to the next level this season.