#3: Kevin Porter Jr.
Rookie Kevin Porter Jr., by most counts, is a wild card for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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He reportedly dealt with off-court issues at USC that seemed to be the biggest reason he fell to the last pick in the first round, yet his on-court ability and mentality is what brings and offers him the likely chance with the Cavaliers this upcoming season and moving forward overall.
He arguably is already the most athletic player on the team, even potentially over former NBA Dunk Contest participant, Larry Nance Jr.
That athleticism will provide countless highlight plays this season and should quickly help cement Porter as one of the Cavaliers’ premier slashers and cutters this season.
He hit 51.7% of his two-point attempts at USC and will likely hope and look to carry over that similar level of efficiency into the NBA throughout his career and in his upcoming rookie season.
He will have to improve upon his free throw shooting going forward (he shot just 52.2% from there, per Sports Reference) if he is to truly maximize his scoring capabilities, but his ceiling as a cutter and all-around offensive weapon remains high because of his athleticism in general.
If his time at USC and high school is an indication of anything for his time on the court going forward, Kevin will certainly be showcasing that athleticism often on the court and as such, it is logical to assume he may be one of the Cavaliers’ premier cutters even early on into his career this upcoming season.
Porter may not see as much time early due to the veteran guard presence on this team currently, but once he starts to consistently see minutes he should showcase that ability to attack and cut to the basket often, which with the likes of rookie Darius Garland, Nance and others and in Beilein’s motion offense, plenty of opportunities should come for Porter.