Chicago Bulls: 2018-19 player grades for Otto Porter Jr.

Weaknesses

As was the case with Zach LaVine, the Bulls were hoping to add another wing player who can get it done at both ends of the floor. Did Porter check the box in this area? Perhaps.

Let’s address the negative side of this narrative first. Porter’s numbers on the defensive end of the court were not all that great. He finished with a defensive real plus minus (DRPM) rating of .19, placing him at 226 in this category.

Also, the Bulls were 1.1 points better per 100 possessions defensively when Porter was on the bench. The counterpoint to this argument is that Chicago’s defense was terrible for most of the season regardless of which group of players were on the court, as the team finished 20th in points allowed (113.4) and 25th in defensive rating (113.2 points per possession). Secondly, 15 games may not be enough of a sample size to determine if Porter is capable of being a decent defender.

Another area where Porter can improve in has to do with being a good facilitator. Yes, he did average 2.7 assists during his abbreviated season with the Bulls. And he also produced 40 assists in 15 games, which was the same number of assists he recorded in 41 games with the Wizards.

However, over the course of his career, the sixth-year forward is averaging just 1.5 assists per outing, which isn’t anything to be overly excited about.

On the positive side, with a full season to become familiar with the tendencies of his new teammates, it is conceivable that Porter could become an effective playmaker.