2 things Craig Porter, Jr. must prove with the Cleveland Cavaliers this season
By Alex Sabri
Improve his outside shot
Porter's fearlessness when going to the basket and ability to keep his defenders behind him on drives paved the way to an efficient start from inside the paint and the restricted area.
The 6-foot-1 guard hit a combined 56% of his shots from both areas during the 2023-24 regular season, using floaters, driving layups and short-range pullup jumpers to score contested twos. He made 50% of his driving layups, 45.5% of his pullup jumpers and nearly 52% of his step-back jump shots, according to NBA.com, showing a solid arsenal on a team that ended last year's regular season with an average of 50.1 points in the paint per game, good enough for 16th in the NBA.
Porter Jr. made 35.3% of his 34 total 3-pointers during the 2023-24 regular season. While he showed some bright spots above the break, being more consistent and confident in taking and making long-range pullup and corner jumpers could be huge for him to take the next step forward, a point he highlighted during a July conference at the NBA Summer League.
"I'm comfortable with it all. I'm just going to take what the defense gives me. I noticed they were switching and going under a lot of ball screens. That's just been one of the focuses. I know a lot of teams are going to scout me and make me shoot a lot of threes. That's just one of the things I try to make sure I do: Shoot it with confidence. "
- Craig Porter, Jr.
Improving his ability to work off the ball can also prove to be key in making him a more dynamic scoring and shooting option in the future, a point he highlighted in the same Summer League conference.
In another display of his maturity, Porter recognized his responsibility to organize the team when he is on the court and ensure he can make open opportunities when they present themselves. Porter named improving his catch-and-shoot efficiency as an emphasis this season to put himself in a better spot to earn consistent minutes every game and be a reliable presence in Cleveland basketball.