3 Cleveland Cavaliers takeaways from a shaky season thus far

Cleveland Cavaliers Tristan Thompson (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Cleveland Cavaliers Tristan Thompson (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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Cleveland Cavaliers Kevin Porter Jr.
Cleveland Cavaliers Kevin Porter Jr. (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /

3. Kevin Porter Jr. is the future

The Cleveland Cavaliers knew they had a steal when selecting Kevin Porter Jr. with the last pick in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft.

Porter had been regarded as one of the most interesting prospects of his class and was projected to go as high as the lottery in some mock drafts. When the Cavaliers saw they had a chance to acquire him late in the first round, it was an option they couldn’t pass up.

He has all the raw tools of an elite two-way player. His build and play style are comparable to a Jimmy Butler/Paul George type of prospect, though he has a lot of work to do before reaching that level of stardom.

https://twitter.com/cavs/status/1202026035115507712

Porter has already shown his potential on both ends of the floor. He is a quick-twitch athlete with high flying ability. His handle is smooth and he has spared no defenders in front of him from embarrassing them with his shifty movement.

The flaws in his game are obvious. He is a poor shooter, connecting on just 23.8 percent from the 3-point line. Furthermore, his shot selection in the paint is highly questionable, as he would be much better off kicking the ball out to shooters rather than forcing contested layups.

These are things that Porter will hopefully learn moving forward in his NBA career. Although it is very early, it seems the Cavaliers have found a suitable wing player to pair alongside Darius Garland and Collin Sexton.