Positives, negatives for Cleveland Cavaliers so far

Negative: Kevin Porter Jr.

One of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ most intriguing rookies, Kevin Porter Jr., is having a rough start to his NBA career.

In his debut, Porter went scoreless, shooting 0-for-7 from the field. Since then, he has scored only 10 points on 4-of-13 (30.8 percent shooting). It’s safe to say this is not the start he was hoping for.

Porter’s struggles can mostly be chalked up to inexperience. His shot selection has been erratic and he is often forcing the issue. This is not a unique problem for rookies and will hopefully be resolved as the season progresses.

Porter has had no trouble penetrating the defense. However, his finishing around the rim has been woeful. The speed of NBA defenders has taken him by surprise and taller opponents such as the Milwaukee Bucks were able to block his shot multiple times.

This is made worse by the fact that KPJ has yet to connect on a jump shot. Through his first three games, Porter is 0-for-12 on jump shots. This has limited his game and shrunk the floor for Cleveland.

Porter has not impressed yet, but the Cavaliers understood that he would be a work in progress when they drafted him. His raw talent is enough to justify his 18.0 minutes per game and it would be a shock if things didn’t begin to click for him at some point this season.