Previewing the Cavs’ core, player by player

Kevin Porter Jr.

Voted the biggest steal of the 2019 NBA Draft by his peers, Kevin Porter Jr. is looking to have a breakout season with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Porter began his collegiate career with high expectations. The high school phenom made waves with his jumping ability. After being restricted to a limited role at USC, his draft stock plummeted. Once a four-star recruit, Porter was projected to drop as far as the second round in the draft.

Luckily, the Cavaliers picked him up by trading for the rights to the final pick of the first round. Now, Porter is set to be a versatile wing player that can complement the rising star backcourt of Collin Sexton and Darius Garland.

Porter has a great build and even better athleticism. He has already shown to be explosive in transition, throwing down a thunderous dunk against the Detroit Pistons during the preseason.

https://twitter.com/cavs/status/1182821973329510400

His offensive game is raw and underdeveloped, but the potential is there. He is a smooth shooter off the dribble and can finish around the rim at a high rate. Finding a way to improve as a shot creator will be an important task for KPJ this season.

Most importantly, Porter has the potential to become a solid defender. His speed and lateral quickness can help him do more than score the ball. With proper growth, Porter can transform into a gritty perimeter defender.

As Porter was mostly held back in his freshman season of college, we can suspect him to start his rookie year slow. The Cavaliers will keep him on the bench for most of the year until he is ready to possibly take the starting position from Cedi Osman.