With Season-High Marks in LA, Otto Porter Jr. has Returned to Form

It wasn’t long ago when Otto Porter Jr. was a max-contract player in the NBA, leaving a restricted free agency bidding war in 2017 between the Washington Wizards and Brooklyn Nets with a four-year, $106.5 million deal in hand. Whether you thought Porter in his early 20s deserved a maximum contract or not, it was clear the league viewed him as an asset who, even after injuries, could bring a team like the Warriors significant value in any role.

And as a key rotational cog on just a veteran minimum salary, no story about Golden State’s 2021 offseason success could be told without the 28-year old wing. Porter signed with the Warriors in August, inking a one-year deal after playing for three Eastern Conference teams in as many seasons.

The forward had shown flashes – perhaps warranting his maximum contract in 2017 – highlighted by an outstanding 2016-17 campaign. In his fourth year on the Wizards and in the association, Porter started all 80 games in which he played, and while he averaged a modest 13.4 points per game, his extreme efficiency and career-high rebounding (6.4 per game) set the former Georgetown Hoya apart. Alongside an electric backcourt tandem of John Wall and Bradley Beal, Porter shot 43.4% from distance (4th in the NBA) and 51.6% from the field, good for fifth in the league in Effective Field Goal Percentage at 60.8%. Porter was also tops in the association in turnover percentage – according to Basketball Reference, this is an estimate of turnovers committed per 100 plays – at 4.9, and second in the league in Offensive Rating at 129.1.

As NBC Sports’ Monte Poole noted after Porter was signed by the Warriors late this summer, the 6-foot-8 forward has dealt with a slew of injuries to his leg, foot and back over the past few seasons. As a result, Porter only took the floor in 14 games in 2019-20 before appearing in just 28 contests in Chicago and Orlando last season.

Despite this injury history, it’s easy to see why Golden State pursued Porter. In Washington, Porter showed the ability to score as an ancillary option behind prolific backcourt players. If it worked with Wall and Beal, why not try to ease him in off the bench with Curry, Poole and eventually Thompson? Additionally, even in their dynastic years, the Warriors struggled with ball security – enter Porter, who has two top-20 Turnover% seasons excluding when he led the league in the metric in 2016-17.

Now, Golden State’s gamble has appeared to pay off. Currently 11th among active players in 3-point shooting at a career 40.3%, Porter is hitting 42.6% of his triples so far this season. His length is also noticeable on the glass, hauling in 4.7 rebounds in 18.2 minutes per contest. With Andre Iguodala’s injury and Jonathan Kuminga’s inexperience, Porter has been an invaluable member of the second unit.

Behind Stephen Curry’s disrespectful pyrotechnics Sunday against the Clippers, Porter scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in 25:46 on the floor – all three totals were season-highs for the veteran. Before he even played for Golden State, Porter made his commitment to winning in any role clear, rejecting the mid-level exception from other teams to take a minimum deal with the Warriors, according to a tweet by Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes.

Now that he has suited up for the blue and gold, his abilities as a player and a teammate, along with his distinction as a premier free-agent acquisition cannot be doubted.

(Photo credit: Noah Graham / Getty Images)