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Washington Wizards: Which players are poised to get better or worse?

By Kenny Chapman

Nov 25, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; The Washington Wizards huddle up outside of their locker room during pre game warmups before an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 25, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; The Washington Wizards huddle up outside of their locker room during pre game warmups before an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /
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May 4, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards forward Otto Porter Jr. (22) shoots the ball against the Boston Celtics in the third quarter in game three of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Verizon Center. The Wizards won 116-89. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
May 4, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards forward Otto Porter Jr. (22) shoots the ball against the Boston Celtics in the third quarter in game three of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Verizon Center. The Wizards won 116-89. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

Otto Porter Jr.

Many stories have been written about how Otto Porter Jr. went from an average shooter to one of the most efficient in the league. But what a lot of people don’t talk about is how much he’s improved in every offseason.

Otto Porter Per Game Stats
Season G MP FG FG% 3PA 3P% eFG% FT% TRB AST STL BLK TOV PTS
2013-14 37 8.6 0.9 .363 0.6 .190 .385 .667 1.5 0.3 0.2 0.0 0.4 2.1
2014-15 74 19.4 2.4 .450 1.4 .337 .495 .734 3.0 0.9 0.6 0.4 0.7 6.0
2015-16 75 30.3 4.5 .473 3.6 .367 .541 .754 5.2 1.6 1.4 0.4 0.9 11.6
2016-17 80 32.6 5.2 .516 4.3 .434 .608 .832 6.4 1.5 1.5 0.5 0.5 13.4
Career 266 24.9 3.6 .481 2.8 .389 .552 .774 4.5 1.2 1.0 0.4 0.7 9.3

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 6/18/2017.

These numbers don’t just show a guy who made a leap last season, but more of a player who works hard in his free time and finds ways to improve his game in any way possible. I don’t see why this offseason would be any different from the patterns shown in his per game stats.

The one thing that Porter needs to work on is his defensive game. He doesn’t impact the game enough on that side of the ball, which shouldn’t be the case for a wingman with a wingspan of over seven feet. If Porter can get his hands in more passing lanes and deflect more shots, he will be a two-way impact player who’s becoming a dominate presence in the league.

With his newfound confidence and a big new contract this summer, I predict he will be given an even bigger role for the team, and will yet again improve in multiple major statistical categories. If the Washington Wizards pay him, of course.

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