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2019 NBA Draft: 5 players with steal potential in the second round

By Nick Crain

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - MARCH 22: Terence Davis #3 of the Mississippi Rebels drives to the basket against Brady Manek #35 of the Oklahoma Sooners in the first half during the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Colonial Life Arena on March 22, 2019 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - MARCH 22: Terence Davis #3 of the Mississippi Rebels drives to the basket against Brady Manek #35 of the Oklahoma Sooners in the first half during the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Colonial Life Arena on March 22, 2019 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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NBA Draft Jontay Porter
NBA Draft Jontay Porter /

5. Jontay Porter (F): Missouri

Jontay Porter played both power forward and center in just one college season. As a freshman in the 2017-18 season, he produced 9.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. He showed his ability to stretch the floor, shooting 36.4 percent from three.

Standing at 6’11”, 215 pounds, Porter has length, but is not an elite athlete. He projects to play mainly power forward at the next level because he lacks the physical frame to play amongst the massive NBA centers. In a small ball lineup, he could thrive as a center, but he should play the majority of this time at the power forward position.

Porter considered entering 2018 NBA Draft but elected to come back to play his sophomore season at Missouri. This ended up back-firing, as he missed the entire 2018-19 season after tearing his right ACL and MCL in October during a preseason scrimmage. It was then reported that he re-tore his right ACL in March. Porter is still only 19 years old and has a lot of basketball still ahead of him.

If he did not have this injury history, Porter would easily be a first-round pick. If there is a team who is willing to take a gamble on him in the second round, the younger brother of Denver Nuggets‘ Michael Porter Jr. could easily be a steal.

Porter is very effective with the ball due to being a great passer and being able to really help the offense flow. He will need to fill out and get much stronger to thrive at the NBA level, but that shouldn’t be a problem. Porter is the ultimate risk with his injury history, but if he can stay healthy will prove he was well worth a second-round pick.

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