Draft Profile: Making Baskets With Otto Porter

In the run-up to the 2013 NBA Draft on June 27, the BDD staff will be profiling several projected lottery picks and other draft entrants. Next up: Otto Porter.

Otto Porter probably scored on this play. (John McDonnell/Washington Post)

Position: Small Forward
College: Georgetown
DraftExpress Prediction: No. 3 in first round, No. 3 overall to the Washington Wizards

Synopsis: Otto Porter can get into the lane at will and succinctly score when he gets there. Remember Georgetown's late surge during the regular season that locked the Hoyas into an NCAA Tournament selection? Credit Porter's activity on both ends. On the offensive side in particular, Porter's enhanced three-point acumen (from 23 percent as a sophomore to 42 percent last season) added a new dimension to his game that made his entry to the paint that much simpler for him and that much more agonizing for onlooking coaches on the opposing bench. His 16.2 points per game (19.1 per 40 minutes pace adjusted) came from an efficient 48 percent shooting while using 21.7 percent of Georgetown's possessions when on the floor.

Thanks to his size, this scoring ability should translate to NBA courts. Porter's ideal height for a small forward (6'9") could stand to fill out (he's currently 198 pounds), but his length makes him a threat on defense, as well. His 7-foot-plus wingspan helped Porter poke away 2.1 steals per game as a senior. The three-man also nabbed 22.6 percent of his team's defensive rebounds, showing he does more than hit the boards for his own put-backs.

A necessary expansion of Porter's game to make him an all-around better scorer, and thus an all-around better threat, would be the addition of creating his own shot off the dribble. This would make him more dangerous in isolation situations and as part of a pick-and-roll tandem, thus allowing Porter to create more space for his teammates and perhaps see a jump in his assist numbers (2.7 per game last season). For the weight and off-the-bounce skills he currently lacks, though, Porter has shown he can make dramatic jumps in just one offseason. There is no sure-shot lottery pick in this draft, but Porter is one of the only players able to make an immediate impact for whichever team drafts him. 

Quote to note: “It has helped. Obviously, you can get better each and every day. Obviously, we didn't play our best game my last game. I wanted to come from that, to learn from that, and get better.” - Porter on Georgetown's NCAA Tournament loss to No. 15 seed Florida Gulf Coast, via DraftExpress. 

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