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NBA Draft 2019: 5 targets for the Miami Heat

By Trevor Magnotti

BLOOMINGTON, IN - NOVEMBER 09: Romeo Langford #0 of the Indiana Hoosiers looks on during the game against the Montana State Bobcats at Assembly Hall on November 9, 2018 in Bloomington, Indiana. The Hoosiers won 80-35. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
BLOOMINGTON, IN - NOVEMBER 09: Romeo Langford #0 of the Indiana Hoosiers looks on during the game against the Montana State Bobcats at Assembly Hall on November 9, 2018 in Bloomington, Indiana. The Hoosiers won 80-35. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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Kevin Porter
LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 23: USC guard Kevin Porter Jr. (4) drives to the basket during a college basketball game between the Oregon State Beavers and the USC Trojans on February 23, 2019 at Galen Center in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

5. Kevin Porter Jr., SG, USC

The Step Back Big Board Ranking: 21

Porter has all of the skill in the world but really struggled to put anything of consequence together in his freshman season at USC. A 6-foot-4 guard with an effective step back jumper, great vertical leap, and excellent finishing touch in transition. There’s a path to him becoming a high-level scorer in the league if he can hone his shooting and become a better playmaker. He absolutely needs to do the latter, though, because USC never really looked demonstrably better with Porter on the floor, and he struggled to really impact the game positively because he didn’t show great playmaking ability or defensive instincts. Add in the drama related to his return from his quadriceps injury, and there’s potential that he might be a good scorer, but in the way that Nick Young was a good scorer.

If any team is going to tutor Porter into being a solid two-way wing, though, it’s likely Miami. Porter’s athleticism lends to him being a positive contributor on defense, and the mechanics are there for him to be a good off-ball shooter. The potential for him to be a secondary handler that can complement the Heat’s current core pieces if the Heat can bring out the best in Porter’s skill set. If they can get buy-in from Porter, he could end up being a huge hit following in the footsteps of Dion Waiters as the team’s sixth man.

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