NBA Draft 2019: 5 potential sleepers to watch

HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT - MARCH 23: Mfiondu Kabengele #25 of the Florida State Seminoles dunks the ball against the Murray State Racers in the second half during the second round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at XL Center on March 23, 2019 in Hartford, Connecticut. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 13: Kevin Porter Jr. #4 of the USC Trojans shooting free throws against the Arizona Wildcats during a first-round game of the Pac-12 basketball tournament at T-Mobile Arena on March 13, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images) /

1. Kevin Porter Jr., Guard, USC

In terms of sheer talent, there aren’t many players in the 2019 NBA Draft better than USC’s Kevin Porter Jr. If East Coast bias has kept you from hearing the name shame on you, Porter Jr. has been one of the best non-professional basketball players in the West for the last two or three years. Hailing from Seattle, Porter Jr. starred for Rainer Beach High School and then took his talents to Southern California for a season before declaring for the NBA draft. The 6-foot-6 lefty guard has all of the scoring tricks in his arsenal and at times his play has drawn comparisons to a young James Harden.

While Porter Jr. isn’t likely to reach the lofty status of the current version of Harden, it’s easy to see from the step-back jumpers, smooth and deliberate moves, and quietly explosive athleticism why the two would be compared to each other. Porter Jr. mostly played off the bench (started four of 21 games) at USC, but he often found ways to make noise when he was on the floor.

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Yet, Porter Jr. wasn’t on the floor or available as often as the team and scouts would’ve liked in his one-year stop with the Trojans. In November he suffered a quad contusion injury that would keep him out until December where he would re-injure the quad and be kept out until mid-January. However, shortly after returning to action he was suspended indefinitely by head coach, Andy Enfield for “personal conduct issues”. The suspension would last almost two weeks.

The injury and suspension have led to Porter Jr. being labeled as troubled or having red flags attached to him over the course of the draft process. If teams early in the draft elect to pass over him due to these concerns, he could land in a situation better suited for him to contribute right away on a winning team. The talent is undeniable, fit will go a long way to determining how good Porter Jr. ends up being during his NBA career.

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