NBA Draft 2018: 5 prospects with All-Star potential

Michael Porter Jr. was the number one overall player coming out of high school in 2017. After missing almost all of his freshman season at Mizzou with a back injury, his stock has fallen some but he’s still likely to be among the first five players taken off the board in the 2018 draft.

He’s proven less than almost anyone in the draft. He’s never had to defer to or play off of a teammate, has never really played in an offensive or defensive system, and has been able to dominate just based on his individual talent all of his career. He doesn;t seem to have much of a chip on his shoulder like many other players and if he did, it would be a kale chip since Porter is a raw vegan.

Oh and his back injury is the kind that could be a recurring problem in the future.

Even with red flags and Porter needing to develop in several areas of the game, his athleticism and ability to shoot the ball at 6-foot-11 are enough to warrant teams using a top five pick to take a chance. He is probably the best pure shooter in this draft and with his height, will be able to shoot over just about anyone. He also handles the ball and runs the floor like a guard.

Even though he hasn’t shown the ability to guard NBA-caliber players and hasn’t had to deal with handling switches and mismatches like most of the guys who played at major programs this past season, he has the physical tools, the length and athleticism. Michael Porter Jr. might never reach his potential and might be one of the biggest busts in this class, but he also has a pretty high ceiling and could rise to All-Star level sooner than anyone else in this class. I’m glad I’m not one of the general managers staking a career or one of the franchises staking its future on which way he goes