Just before the buzzer to end the 1st half of last night’s preseason game against the Denver Nuggets, a driving Andrew Wiggins finds Otto Porter Jr. wide open in the corner. Two Nuggets players converge to try and defend the shot, giving Porter the opportunity to kick it to the wing on his left for an open shot from… the greatest shooter alive. When asked about the play during his postgame media time, Porter Jr. gave the response that you want to see from a guy who just joined this team: “They left Steph wide open. For me? OK. But, Steph? You’re going to leave him open? Bad idea, buddy.”

Porter Jr. finished the game with a very efficient 15 points (5-7 shooting, 4-6 from beyond the arc mostly in the corner) and 9 rebounds alongside a team-high +18 and some strong defense. The game before against the Trailblazers, he scored 19 points on 5-9 shooting, and 4-7 from downtown. Porter Jr. has given the Warriors some much-needed spacing and slates as an ideal 3-and-D wing to fit into the Warriors offense. His profile is phenomenal defensively, and when you see him play, you wonder how the team got this guy on a minimum contract.

His spotty injury history is certainly something to note moving forward, but people forget that OPJ was at one point a key piece to a Washington Wizards squad that took the Isaiah Thomas Celtics to 7 games in 2017. Another ironic part of his stint in Washington was who he started over: former Warrior and current Charlotte Hornet Kelly Oubre Jr., who had one of the coldest starts in NBA history to kick off last season, and didn’t enjoy much success after that. Porter Jr. was the piece that a lot of Wizards fans were hyped up over, but his inability to stay off the injury list held him – and his value – back, allowing the Warriors to pick him up for cheap. This is the kind of thinking and careful planning that has kept the Warriors at the top of the league for so long, and the team’s culture surrounding an superstar as unselfish and committed to winning as Steph Curry certainly helps to get players motivated to make some great comebacks.

Porter Jr. and Nemanja Bjelica have been preseason revelations for a Warriors team that needed to make some adjustments in order to allow Curry more room to operate. The floor spacing provided by these shooters allows for a ton of variability in the lineups that can turn the team’s offense to an even-higher octane than iterations of past Warriors squads. Both players bring knockdown shooting, but also bring some key factors that the Warriors have been missing since 2016: Playmaking in the post (Bjelica has already shown the ability to beat other bigs off the dribble from the outside and has some great vision for kickouts) and rebounding (one of Porter Jr.’s strong suits as an athletic, tall forward). Assuming they can both stay healthy with some limited minutes, the Warriors could end up making it to the postseason with a roster that can go the full 15-man rotation and play damn-near any style of basketball they want.

Aside from his uncanny resemblance to Warriors legend Wilt Chamberlain, Otto Porter Jr. has already ingratiated himself to the fans with his attitude and disposition. He’s cognizant of the team’s greatness and mission, and seems to be buying in just like most other players do when they come to the Warriors: With the way he gels into the Warriors offense so seamlessly, it looks like he’s been around for years. He’s already astounded by Steph Curry’s work ethic and the impact his actions have on the team’s younger guys, showing just how much he believes in the locker room culture. Porter Jr.’s veteran impact will help set the tone of the team going forward, and his meshing seems to be already well-underway as he looks to help the Warriors compete for another title.

(Photo credit: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)