As we start the month and inch closer to the 2019 NBA Draft, Kevin Porter Jr. is next on the list of our Minnesota Timberwolves draft profiles.
The NBA Draft will be held on June 20, and it’s time to take a hard look look at prospects and find the best fits for the Minnesota Timberwolves to draft at No. 11.
Kevin Porter Jr. is one of the more intriguing prospects in the draft because of his high ceiling. Porter has the ability to be a top four or five pick, but because he had some troubles adjusting and had some off-court issues at the University of Southern California, he will find himself falling down the draft boards.
His upside and offensive ability is as good as the guys who will be drafted in the top five. He can score at will, getting inside with his 6-foot-6, 220-pound frame. His athleticism is elite and it will be on full display wherever he ends up getting drafted at.
This man Kevin Porter Jr is going to be a problem in the league. pic.twitter.com/QkPyNwFkJe
— Oliver Maroney (@OliverMaroney) May 29, 2019
Granted he’s not in an actual game and has an open dunk each time, but his leaping and dunking ability is on full display in the above video. If he gets any glimpse of space, this will be a regular occurrence for Porter at the next level.
He’s a strong player and plays aggressive with the type of swagger that you love to see. Porter’s isolation skills are some of the best in this class, too.
And not only can Porter put it on the deck, but he can shoot the ball. In his only year at USC, he averaged 47.1 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from 3-point range, albeit in only 21 games. Minnesota would welcome another player that can help put them in a better spot when it comes down to shooting from downtown.
He only averaged 9.5 points per game in his freshman year and that will likely hurt his stock. He also doesn’t have the best decision making, where he can get tunnel vision at times.
Porter also has some off court issues and was suspended by USC for personal conduct issues. There was no clarification as to what it really was, so that is concerning, although NBA teams are surely doing plenty of homework on exactly what those issues were.
With some uncertainty towards his off court behavior and a struggle to adjust to the collegiate level, Porter will find himself more than likely falling outside the top 10. However, if he can mature and continue to develop, then he will be a good player in the NBA and could be a steal for someone in the middle of the first round.
Porter’s potential and ability to score in a variety of ways is as good as anyone in the draft class. If Minnesota were to draft him and he figures things out, well … let’s just say that the upside of both Porter individually and the team as a whole would be sky-high.