2019 NBA Draft Profile: Kevin Porter Jr.
By Ethan Smith
Strengths
Some things, you just can’t teach. And Kevin Porter Jr has a lot of them. For one Porter’s a big, strong guard. At only 19 years old, he measures in at 6’6″, 213 pounds, with a 6’9″ wingspan. And he has top tier athleticism to match: showcasing a 34″ vertical at the NBA Draft Combine.
Porter’s short 21 game freshman season at USC was full of fastbreak dunks, amazing alley-oops, and powerful putbacks. The guy can soar and loves attacking the basket. Plus he has enough strength and creativity to both absorb contact around the rim, and still manage to get his shot off. Porter should have no problem translating those skills at the NBA level.
Porter’s creativity doesn’t only come around the rim, though. He has exceptional ball-handling ability and will often toy with defenders before blowing b them to the basket, or stepping back for a pull up three. Porter, himself, is a fan of fellow California product James Harden, and you can see many shades of Harden in Porter’s game.
But his length and athleticism don’t only help him on the offensive end. Porter’s size should allow him to defend multiple positions at the NBA level, a skill that is needed more and more in today’s NBA.