Otto Porter Jr. has been the pickup of the off-season as far as rotation guys go for probably any team in the NBA. Porter, who’s been a key piece for the Warriors as they’ve been hit by a slew of injuries and Covid protocol absences, has been outplaying his contract and injuries-permitting, is probably playing himself into a lot more money next season.

His teammates have taken notice as well. During press availability before today’s game, Warriors forward and Defensive Player of the Year favorite Draymond Green talked to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater and the rest of the media about OPJ’s impact, and just how versatile of a player he is.

“The beautiful thing about it is, he continues to show that he has more” Green said on his teammate. “All of a sudden, as he gets more and more comfortable, it’s ‘I did not know he could rebound that well, I did not know he could guard that well, I did not know he was that smart, I did not know he could pass the ball that well… He just keeps adding more and more as he gets comfortable.”

Because of his injuries, it’s easy to see why there’s a lack of awareness on how good Porter actually is. Injuries have always held him back from his potential, but there’s a ton of potential, and he’s still only 28 years old.

Porter was drafted 3rd overall in the 2013 NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards. He took a bit to come into his own in the league, breaking out in the 2016-2017 season where he averaged career highs in points, rebounds, and steals per game. He was one of the NBA’s most efficient players and was a good defender as well.

While he struggled to stay on the floor for awhile in his last few seasons with the Wizards and his short stint with the Chicago Bulls, there was once a time when he was able to play 80 games in a season, missing only a few likely for rest reasons. Porter was known for awhile as the guy who could make the jump for the Wizards to be title contenders on a team that included Brad Beal and John Wall, but ultimately injuries to both him and Wall derailed that vision.

This season with the Warriors, OPJ has seen his role revitalized as a versatile, do-it-all wing. He’s shooting 40% from three, averaging 4.9 rebounds per game and 8 points in about 20 minutes a contest. His role fluctuates based on Kerr’s rotations and game-time decision-making, but he’s shown he’s a very important part of the Warriors roster.

Recently, against the Suns and the Jazz, Porter came up huge in both wins. In Phoenix, he drilled four straight buckets to close out the second-best team in the West, making sure the Suns bench knew it too by pointing it out to them. Against the Jazz, he had a very solid 20/7/8 on 9-of-14 shooting, including 2-for-4 from beyond the arc. He showed off some of his off-the-dribble aptitude as well, nailing a 4th-quarter stepback in the mid post that put the Warriors in the driver’s seat to shut the door on Utah.

OPJ has been huge for the Warriors throughout the season, even though his play has shined especially these last few games. He’s been an integral next-man-up and has shown he deserves more than the league was willing to give him. It’s hard to tell if the Warriors’ situation has really allowed him to thrive, but it’s pretty obvious that when he can stay healthy, he’s a winning player who makes winning plays, and that alone deserves some serious recognition.

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