Craig Porter Jr. just sealed the job up.
Heading into the season, one of the major questions for the Cleveland Cavaliers is who will claim the backup point guard position. Dennis Schroder held the job down the stretch of last season, but he is now playing for the Charlotte Hornets after the Cavs dumped his salary to make room to re-sign James Harden.
Who will take Schroder's place? Harden is extremely durable and unlikely to miss significant time, but he is also 37 years old and cannot play 48 minutes a night. Someone will need to claim that spot and run the offense when Harden is on the bench or unavailable.
That question may already be answered after just one preseason game, and the answer may be Craig Porter Jr.
Porter was in control in his debut
The Cavaliers took on the Boston Celtics to open up their brief preseason slate. It was a 124-113 Boston victory in the end, which matters little to anyone, but evaluating individual performances is a great way to check the readiness of players to fill the role being asked of them.
For the Cavs, it's a chance to glimpse the status of players fighting for rotation spots. Porter Jr. is one such player, trying to prove himself worthy of the full-time backup point guard spot. And his audition Thursday was a beautiful one.
The entire starting lineup of the Cavaliers -- admittedly with Harden sitting the game out -- totaled 10 assists in their combined 85 minutes. In his modest 16 minutes, Porter Jr. totaled 10 assists himself, slinging the ball into the shooting pockets of his Cleveland teammates.
To make things even better, Porter did not have a single turnover. Such a pristine 10-0 assist-to-turnover ratio is certainly unsustainable, but it highlights his strengths as a player. He is a steady hand, a solid ball-handler, a capable passer. If Cleveland wants a traditional point guard, they may have their guy already in place. Porter was in command on Thursday night.
The Cavaliers have some options
Porter Jr. is the natural pick for the job, a traditional point guard who can keep the offense on schedule. He is the front runner for sure after his play against the Celtics.
Tyrese Proctor was the other true candidate, more raw and less of an on-ball dribbler and passer. Proctor brings size and athleticism that Porter does not, however, and if Proctor's shot developed enough, it was possible he could have snatched the job away from Porter Jr. His debut was less mesmerizing: 5 points on 2-for-6 shooting, one assist and four fouls in 21 minutes. No snatching occurred.
The other options are more creative. Donovan Mitchell or even rookie Meleek Thomas could man the "point" for one of the rotation groups, with players like Mario Hezonja, Jaylon Tyson and Evan Mobley handling the ball in a more egalitarian group. If the Cavaliers believe that players like Thomas, Hezonja and Nae'Qwon Tomlin are better fits in the rotation, sliding Mitchell to the 1 is a way to give them more minutes.
It will be difficult to push Porter Jr. out of the rotation now. His passing and execution are top notch, and he is a solid shooter. He takes little away when he is on the court. He may rarely close for Cleveland, but he should be a rotation mainstay, especially to start the season.
He just locked that spot up.
Add us as a preferred source on Google