Washington Wizards: Life without John Wall, Part 2

Porter needs more touches on offense

When it comes to the Washington Wizards, they get too focused on isolation ball if you ask me. With two All-Stars in the lineup, at times you can’t blame them, but they also have an investment in Otto Porter Jr.

Porter averaged 13.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 51.6 percent from the floor and 43.4 percent from 3-point range last season. He finished fourth in the league in 3-point shooting percentage a season ago. His production earned him a four-year, $106.5 million deal in the offseason, albeit as a restricted free agent.

Now, it’s time for Washington to get its money’s worth. There’s no reason Porter should be taking only one more shot attempt than he was a season ago. He’s attempting 11.0 field goals per game this year. In 2016-17, he took 10.0 shots per game.

When it comes to the 3-point line, Porter is averaging 4.0 3-pointers per game. Last season, he averaged 4.3. On the surface, one could say Porter has plateaued, or some could argue he’s battling a hip injury.

Then you look at the Wizards’ past two games and see Porter has put up 25 points and 18 points, respectively. Granted, it’s a small sample size, but Porter has shot over 60 percent from the floor in both games. He’s also 3-for-7 from 3-point range.

This is the best time to get Porter to step up. He’s seemed to seize the moment so far. With Wall out for an extended amount of time, look for him to become a bigger focal point on offense.