NBA Draft 2018: Biggest questions for draft night
1. Is Michael Porter Jr.’s healthy?
Michael Porter Jr. entered college as the consensus number one recruit in his high school class. Following the famed Nike Hoop Summit, Porter Jr. was being written in as a lock to be the number one pick of the 2018 NBA Draft. Then, in Missouri’s season opener against Iowa State, Porter Jr. exited the game after two minutes and complained about discomfort in his hip and sat the remainder of the game. Ten days later, it was reported that Porter Jr. would undergo surgery on his back due to herniated discs.
After sitting out for four months, Porter Jr. would return to play in the Missouri Tigers’ final two games of the season. Yet, the athletic 6-foot-11 swing forward that tore through the high school ranks was a shell of himself in those outings. He averaged 14 points per game and shot a combined 9-of-29 from the field, 3-of-10 on 3-pointers in those two games. The once surefire number one pick was now slipping towards the back end of the top 10.
Back injuries at any age are a risky situation, add in that Porter Jr. has these potential long-term injury issues at just 19 years old is a medical red flag for franchises. The news surrounding Porter Jr.’s recovery dominated headlines when it was reported that Porter Jr. would have to potentially cancel a workout and medical evaluation (the medical evaluation ended up happening) due to spasms and hip issues.
Then, a week before the 2018 NBA Draft, reports started to come out that the Sacramento Kings and Memphis Grizzlies had a real interest in taking Porter Jr. with either the second or fourth pick respectively. Porter Jr. downplayed the seriousness of the spasms that led to the near cancellation on a radio appearance and his surgeon said there’s only a 10-15 percent chance of him re-injuring his back. It seems as if Porter Jr. and his agent have been very open with teams in regard to his medical situation. We have to wait and see if the teams at the top of the draft are secure enough in what they’ve seen to take him or if his health forces him to slide down the lottery.