Golden State Warriors player too dependent on three: Otto Porter Jr.
Originally a top-five pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, Porter Jr. was thought to have a rare mix of athleticism and scoring. He was a bigger forward that many expected to be able to generate a nice back-to-the-basket game.
However, after averaging 14.7 points per game at his peak with Washington, the team that drafted him, Porter Jr. has been reduced to a role in the NBA that’s primarily a 3-and-D player. That’s what Porter basically signed up for when he joined the Warriors.
Porter Jr. played 16 minutes against the Hornets. He shot and missed two threes, his only attempts in the game. On the season Porter Jr. has just 78 points in 12 games, knocking down 17 threes.
He’s shot double the amount of threes as he has two-point field goals. Porter Jr., if he’s not hitting from deep, doesn’t help the Warriors much. While he was off Sunday, the veteran has been absolutely sniping from deep, knocking down more than 45 percent of his threes.
That said, Porter Jr., Lee, and Poole are all great shooters, and they should continue to shoot at a high rate. Seeing them take to the paint more often can only be a positive thing though.