Cleveland Cavaliers need to increase Kevin Porter Jr.’s role

Kevin Porter Jr. is one of the most promising players on the Cleveland Cavaliers and it’s time to increase his role with the team.

It didn’t take long for 19-year-old Kevin Porter Jr. to become a fan favorite for the Cleveland Cavaliers. The high-flying prospect has taken advantage of every minute he is on the court and is bursting with potential.

Porter entered the 2019 NBA Draft as a raw talent with underdeveloped skills. The world knew of his athleticism but he had yet to put the rest of his game together and struggled at times with USC.

Because of this, Porter was limited in his collegiate role. He started in just four games and barley played over 20 minutes a night as his inexperience held him back from having more responsibility with the team.

Now that he is in Cleveland, the story is much of the same. The Cavaliers have cautiously increased his usage as the season goes on, afraid to overwhelm such a young player with too many expectations.

Porter is currently the eighth man in the rotation, still hardly cracking the 20 minutes per game barrier. He has appeared in 42 games but started in only two of them despite being one of the team’s most effective players when on the court.

This is going to change soon. According to Cleveland Cavaliers new head coach, J.B. Bickerstaff, the Cavaliers are going to “give him an opportunity to do a ton.”

Bickerstaff sees Porter’s high ceiling and is looking to maximize his potential. He speaks to KPJ’s natural court vision and how the team will work with Porter to help him read and make the correct type of pass.

The Cavaliers may go as far as to play Porter at the point guard position. Porter is a shifty ball handler and has proven to be able to find open teammates, especially when driving to the rim.

Bickerstaff also credits Porter for the work he has put in on his jump shot and states that he has the capacity to be a two-way threat for the franchise. Porter is an explosive athlete and has shown signs of being a great defender one day.

Over the last seven games, Porter is averaging 16.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists. He is constantly involved in making something happen for the Cavaliers and was a plus 18 in their recent victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

It is a relief to see someone still playing with fire in spite of the Cavaliers 14-40 record. The Cavaliers should feel lucky to have drafted a player this talented at the end of the first round.

But, before Porter can carry the torch and be labeled a franchise cornerstone, there are some issues he needs to wrinkle out. Firstly, he needs to be better at protecting the ball. Porter is committing nearly two turnovers a game and has roughly the same amount of assists (83) as total turnovers (78).

Then, he needs to prove he can shoot the 3-pointer at a consistent rate. He has had heat-check moments such as his 6-of-9 shooting performance versus the Houston Rockets but is still shooting below 35 percent on the season.

Much like Bickerstaff said, Porter is working diligently on his shooting. He has hit his stride recently, shooting 50.0 percent from the 3-point line across his last 32 attempts. Of course, we need to see him maintain this accuracy over a longer stretch of time.

Fans are eager for Porter to receive a bigger role with the team but the Cavaliers appear to be hesitant to hand the keys over to an inexperienced 19-year-old. One thing is for certain, if he continues to develop at this rapid rate, Porter will force his way into the starting lineup in a hurry.