Cavaliers Considering Otto Porter With First Pick

[Big Bid'Ness]

From:realgm
 

Cavaliers Considering Otto Porter With First Pick
 

Otto Porter Jr. is under consideration by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the first overall pick, according to a source with knowledge of the team's thinking.
 
Porter is a sophomore forward out of Georgetown.
 
Chris Grant selected Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters higher than most had projected.

 

 

 

[buzzy]

I don't know much about the soon-to-be draftees, but I'd guess that rumor was bound to come up considering how the 3 is the Cavs' weakest position. Noel and Ben Mac are supposed to go 1 and 2 or vice versa, so they should trade down if they really want Porter. I don't know how happy Cavs fans would be with that decision.

 

[Pugz]

they have been high on him for quite some time now, too. i would assume a trade down 2 or 3 spots wouod happen.

 

[BwareDWare94]

As a huge fan of Otto Porter, I must say that this might be a safer offensive choice than Noel, but Noel appears to be a potential game changer.

 

[jonathanlambert33]

Man this draft blows, I like Porter and Noel but I don't feel like either are even somewhat worth the top overall pick.

 

[elcheato]

Noel is worth #1.

Porter isn't worth a top 5 pick

 

[jonathanlambert33]

In this draft maybe, not in a normal draft though.

 

[elcheato]

I heard the same shit about Kyrie 2 years ago.

 

[jonathanlambert33]

Kyrie played what, 9 games?  That's a small sample size, but we saw enough of Nerlens to know what he is.
 
Don't get me wrong, I like him as a player, but he isn't #1 overall pick worthy in a normal draft.  My "beef" (for lack of a better term) isn't with him, but with this draft class overall.  Everyone gets pushed up a notch or two to make up for the overall lack of talent.

 

[elcheato]

A defensive ace who is raw, but can grow offensively, who is also an athletic freak at 6'11? Thats what we saw. He grew over an inch while at Kentucky too, so he might not be done yet either.
 
You're acting like he's a finished product.

 

[jonathanlambert33]

I'm not acting like he's a finished product.  I'm acting like he isn't the defensive ace he's made out to be.  Which he isn't.
 
He's very good, but he isn't some elite defensive prospect.

 

[elcheato]

He's an elite shot blocker, and he was 35th in the nation in steals. He's obviously not going to shut down overpowering big men at this stage in his career, but who really cares anymore in this NBA?
 
He has the ability to show on every pick, switch on every pick, alter shots, block shots and for the most part keep them in play, jump passing lanes and cover multiple positions. How many centers can do that?
 
If he doesn't tear his ACL, he'd be considered the sure fire #1 pick, and pretty much an elite prospect.

 

[jonathanlambert33]

The NBA isn't a league of lumbering centers anymore, there are a lot of guys that can show on pick and rolls and are effective at doing it.  There is so much more that goes into it other than just being able to move quickly.  A guy like Robin Lopez may be the slowest C in the NBA and he was very effective doing it.  Take a guy like Noel, does he understand rotations?  Does he understand placement?  Stunting has also become very popular in the league where the wing or corner defender has to crash down on the roll man and the big who is hedging on the screen has to have enough defensive awareness and understand rotations to the point where he knows he has to get out to the wing or corner to defend a open shot if the man that crashed down onto the roll man can't recover in time. 
 
Watch him play, he's also a poor post defender and a average rebounder.  Because of his poor footwork and lack of strength he struggles to get proper position in the paint in pretty much any situation, whether the ball is at the point, goes from the point to wing, or the wing to corner, or if a skip pass is made, etc.
 
For as athletic as he is, he has slow feet when defending the post (mostly because he's too stiff and upright all the time, which can and will be coached) and lets guys get on his hip and by that time it's too late for him, he gets pushed around in the post and in the paint (especially inside the circle), more times than not he tries to block the shot rather than playing good disciplined defense.  And because of that while he does get his fair share of blocks he also allows guys to finish through him or around him.

 

[elcheato]

All the stuff you're saying would be more appropriate if we were arguing about signing a veteran and what he can actually do defensively. We're talking about a 19 year old center. You're drafting based on potential, he has all the ability and tools to become an elite defender. It's a lot easier to teach technique, footwork, etc.. to a guy with his height and athletic ability. You can't teach what he has. Can't think of many head coaches in the league to get more out of him defensively than Mike Brown, so it's good for him that he's probably going to the Cavs. 
 
I could careless about his post-defense right now, he's not strong enough to battle down there yet. I'm aware, you just have to bank on him getting stronger.
 
I feel like we had this exact same arguement about Drummond, albeit it's a lot different because Drummond is like 270 already, but still.
 
They don't make 7 footers this athletic. If you teach them right, they should be pretty damn good.

 

[jonathanlambert33]

Like you said, the difference with Drummond (aside from the fact that he pulled his head out of his ass when he got to the NBA) is that he's already in a mans body. 
 
Noel at 206 or 226, doesn't really matter, for a 7 footer that's incredibly skinny and weak.  Lots of talk that he doesn't have the frame to support much more weight either.  I'm not sure you should even want him to get to 240-245, hell it may not even be attainable.  And that's going to hurt his overall defensive impact, no matter how athletic he is.
 
Just take a look at this photo:

 

[elcheato]

Just because you don't have broad shoulders doesn't mean you can't get stronger.

 

[Pugz]

its a sign that you cant carry a whole lot of weight though.

 

[elcheato]

Well he's already played at 222, and taking the words straight from Calipari, he thinks he can get to 240-250. He just needs to be able to hold his ground anyway, doesn't have to become some 270 pound behemoth.

 

[Pugz]

250 will likely limit the athletic ability he has but i do agree. i can see him getting to 235-240

 

[jonathanlambert33]

its a sign that you cant carry a whole lot of weight though.

 
Exactly
 
I could see him getting to 235 and that being ok, 240 may be pushing it.  That's assuming he can get there though, some guys just can't gain weight for whatever reason.  Must be a nice problem lol