Michael Porter, Jr. is the biggest wild card in the NBA Draft
Despite only playing three games in college, Michael Porter Jr. has declared for the NBA draft, and the league shouldn’t be too worried about his health.
Michael Porter Jr. didn’t have the college career he or Missouri fans would have liked, but despite missing time due to injury, the former No. 2 recruit is headed to the NBA.
Shams Charania reported Porter is leaving Missouri after only one year where he was limited to three games due to a back injury, but the potential is there for him to still be a high pick.
In college, he shot 33 percent from the field, but this can be attributed to his lack of floor time. When looking at his stats per 40 minutes, they are impressive, 22.6 points and 15.1 rebounds. Frankly, though, he did not dominate the way a top pick should. Missouri lost the two games that he played significant minutes in. It will be difficult teams for NBA teams to evaluate him.
Missouri freshman Michael Porter Jr. has declared for the 2018 NBA draft. Porter will sign with an agent and be a high-lottery selection.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 26, 2018
However, his faith in his high school tape is warranted, and a recent mock draft from Bleacher Report’s Joe Tansey has him going fifth overall. Porter Jr. will trust that what he showed in high school will result in teams picking high in the lottery being willing to take a chance on him. He’ll also have an opportunity to showcase his skills and ability and most importantly, to prove that he’s 100 percent healthy during the pre-draft circuit.
It’s most likely we begin to hear comparisons to hear comparisons to Kyrie Irving who was limited to 11 games at Duke. The two had identical grades of a 97 on ESPN as high school prospects. Irving has been able to play at an All-Star level in the NBA. However, Irving was also far more productive than Porter in college. His .320 win shares per 40 minutes are far greater than Porter Jr’s .128.
Next: 10 Biggest NBA Draft Mistakes of All-Time
That being said, Irving played most of his games before he was injured and shot 33 percent in his first game back. NBA teams cannot listen to comparisons saying Kyrie was able to perform in the NBA without a full college season. They need to look at Porter Jr.’s high school tape by itself. Whether or not he carry this performance up two level as basketball is yet to be seen. To me, his raw talent is worth taking a chance on.