Michael Porter Jr

[kingsfan1984]

Almost need a thread to itself to bring up the toughness this kid displayed playing 2 years with that back injury then doeant give a crap about looking "good" when he comes back far too early to try and help his team in tournament. Im sure his agent was telling him not to risk hurting his back or playing before he will look good. He was a lock to go top of draft already so no reason to take the risk. BUT this kid comes back anyways. NoT AFRAID to look bad! Im buying his Moxy big time. This kid has the stones that the great ones have.

 

[kingsfan1984]

I only had him outside of the top 5 as a precaution. I figured he'd show well in these workouts, its not that ik buy the reports hook line and sinker it just tat given his talent level size and polish a simple 'everything is in order' nod is all i was looking for to greenlight him.

And i think this is exactly what mock drafters were doing too. So now that it really des appear he is healthy, its a whole new ball game with him.

The narrative that this would be so "kangz" to draftva guy at 2 we could have had at 7 is just rubbish. Ibthink he would have gone top 5 already but now that the queations of his back are lessoning then i think there is no way he isnt top 3

 

[Ozymandias]

The funny thing is if the picks Porter all the true Kings fans that are Doncic supporters are gonna be won over by his pure offensive skill in no time.

 

[Kingster]

Is Porter releasing all his medical records? Or not?

 

[steelevt]

The funny thing is if the picks Porter all the true Kings fans that are Doncic supporters are gonna be won over by his pure offensive skill in no time.

True kings fans will hope whoever we draft will succeed. If they hope they fail just to be "right"...

 

[Ozymandias]

Is Porter releasing all his medical records? Or not?

Chicago did a physical and the results are being sent to all 30 teams.

 

[Sac.Kings]

The funny thing is if the picks Porter all the true Kings fans that are Doncic supporters are gonna be won over by his pure offensive skill in no time.

Not all of us. I've been defending Porter quite a bit as I have him 2nd on my list after Dončić. Others have done the same and quite a few have gradually warmed to the idea. Except for Blob who will no doubt confirm his dislike for him. Porter must have ran over his dog or something at some point I'm convinced .

The kid will be a scorer no doubt. I'd rather get a SF this draft, the FO clearly thinks Giles is good to go and we still have Willie. Our situation at SF is much more dire than our frontcourt.

 

[burner account]

Unless there are lengering issues with his back, Porter should be the pick at 2.

Why? because he dominated in high school as older senior?

Him saying that he played two years before the operation true pain isn't postive.Also that he started feeling pain as soon as he had some bad food?(months after operation).Broken back at younger age don't become magical better as you get older.

That is if you dismiss some obvious flaws he showed before college year.Bad defender,when he´s back was/were good he couldn´t get in the stance and stop anyone.Did not show some special feel for the game,a bit of a black hole.And his ball handling is bad even if he´s gona play PF (and he will).

Also be careful in believing anything during silly season

https://twitter.com/statuses/1005254676504293377

6/20 (30%) in FIBA basketball for 3 , one of few competitive games we can even judge him.
And all that happened before ugly operation and losing one all year in development(important year).

He was flawed prospect before missing all year in college due to back injury.
"Reaching" for him at second with other prospects on the board is risky to say the least.

It seems Porter even benifited of not playing all year and relaing on AAU hype , while other prospects are beaing nitpick to pieces.

And yeah i am Doncic guy but i like other prospects(Bagley,JJ) but i cant understand all this love for Porter , just because he could with 6-11 height shoot over kids in high school (and had a back operation in meantime) , if you wana gamble on that , your one brave man.Brave or something else.

 

[Sac.Kings]

Why? because he dominated in high school as older senior?

Him saying that he played two years before the operation true pain isn't postive.Also that he started feeling pain as soon as he had some bad food?(months after operation).Broken back at younger age don't become magical better as you get older.

That is if you dismiss some obvious flaws he showed before college year.Bad defender,when he´s back was/were good he couldn´t get in the stance and stop anyone.Did not show some special feel for the game,a bit of a black hole.And his ball handling is bad even if he´s gona play PF (and he will).

Also be careful in believing anything during silly season

https://twitter.com/statuses/1005254676504293377

6/20 (30%) in FIBA basketball for 3 , one of few competitive games we can even judge him.
And all that happened before ugly operation and losing one all year in development(important year).

He was flawed prospect before missing all year in college due to back injury.
"Reaching" for him at second with other prospects on the board is risky to say the least.

It seems Porter even benifited of not playing all year and relaing on AAU hype , while other prospects are beaing nitpick to pieces.

And yeah i am Doncic guy but i like other prospects(Bagley,JJ) but i cant understand all this love for Porter , justbecause he could with 6-11 height shoot over kids in high school (and had a back operation in meantime) , if you wana gamble on that , your one brave man.Brave or something else.

I just want to make sure that people understand that Porter never "broke" his back. His issues were with his disks. In terms of back surgery, it really isn't all that scary, but there is certainly a risk that the problems return. Back issues tend to stick around or come back. That being said, he's probably in the top 2-3 in terms of talent and depending on the medical results, may actually be drafted in the top 3. I really don't know the extent of his surgery or how complicated it was. Not all surgeries are created equal and I'm in no position to find out. If we take him, just gotta pray the back holds out.

 

[jcwkings]

I dont know id feel iffy taking a guy who had serious back surgery and all his old tape shows him playing with a hunch. He's 6'11 but plays like a guy who's 6'7.

 

[ockingsfan]

Chicago did a physical and the results are being sent to all 30 teams.

If I'm risking my franchise on MPJ at #2, I'm demanding my own medical staff perform it's own physical on the kid.

Sorry, but I wouldn't rely on team docs from a team picking behind me to just give me their opinion.

 

[roasthawg]

For those who think he cant jump this is from 2014 and made sportscenter

Look at where he takes off from. Probably grew and inch or 2 since this too.

Holy crap!! If Porter had a freakish wingspan like kd, Giannis, or kawhi I'd be a lot more excited. He still measures out better than Tatum though and is a freak athlete with skills so he's definitely in the conversation.

 

[funkykingston]

I like Bagley and Doncic at two. I'm trying to warm up to Porter because I think the Kings' interest in him is real but even just watching this simple highlight video of Doncic and Porter I'm far more drawn to Luka's game.

MPJ is far more athletic and has a great shot with a few ways of getting space for it but I see so much more in Doncic. Fantastic passing instincts, pick & roll mastery, good shot mechanics that will improve, even just the awareness to backcut when his man overplays him. Doncic is just on a different level than Porter in terms of his awareness and understanding of the game. He also plays with a lot of passion and shows leadership while winning everything he could win this year. And for my money he's a lot more fun to watch too.

If the Kings take Porter I'll root for him to succeed and for me to be wrong but he's not my guy.

 

[206Fan]

Why? because he dominated in high school as older senior?

Him saying that he played two years before the operation true pain isn't postive.Also that he started feeling pain as soon as he had some bad food?(months after operation).Broken back at younger age don't become magical better as you get older.

That is if you dismiss some obvious flaws he showed before college year.Bad defender,when he´s back was/were good he couldn´t get in the stance and stop anyone.Did not show some special feel for the game,a bit of a black hole.And his ball handling is bad even if he´s gona play PF (and he will).

Also be careful in believing anything during silly season

https://twitter.com/statuses/1005254676504293377

6/20 (30%) in FIBA basketball for 3 , one of few competitive games we can even judge him.
And all that happened before ugly operation and losing one all year in development(important year).

He was flawed prospect before missing all year in college due to back injury.
"Reaching" for him at second with other prospects on the board is risky to say the least.

It seems Porter even benifited of not playing all year and relaing on AAU hype , while other prospects are beaing nitpick to pieces.

And yeah i am Doncic guy but i like other prospects(Bagley,JJ) but i cant understand all this love for Porter , justbecause he could with 6-11 height shoot over kids in high school (and had a back operation in meantime) , if you wana gamble on that , your one brave man.Brave or something else.

....I disagree with a lot of what you said in the post and we have 18 other pages of people arguing against that point, so I won't touch it. However, I don't know why you bring up that Fraschilla tweet. This was a pro-day where all 30 teams were probably there. Everyone saw whether or not MPJ looked good or bad. This released info doesn't strike me as smokescreen. Again, 29 other teams were there. The Mavs have nothing to be gained by releasing that he impressed in his pro-day.

 

[Sactown ExPat]

For those who think he cant jump this is from 2014 and made sportscenter

Look at where he takes off from. Probably grew and inch or 2 since this too.

Literally no one has questioned his jumping ability. No one. Range of motion, agility? Yes, lots of questions.

 

[steelevt]

....I disagree with a lot of what you said in the post and we have 18 other pages of people arguing against that point, so I won't touch it. However, I don't know why you bring up that Fraschilla tweet. This was a pro-day where all 30 teams were probably there. Everyone saw whether or not MPJ looked good or bad. This released info doesn't strike me as smokescreen. Again, 29 other teams were there. The Mavs have nothing to be gained by releasing that he impressed in his pro-day.

Sure they do. Maybe influence someone higher to draft so that someone else falls. Or make someone behind them trade up with them to get mpj

 

[Sactown ExPat]

I’m curious what kind of promises Vlade would have to make to even get Porter in for a physical. It seems heavily implied that the Bulls gave him a promose at #7.

It’s weird to me that Vlade eschewed the agent games in his previous drafts but seems to be playing right along with Porter’s agent. Quite bizaar.

 

[dude12]

I think there is a great deal of interest on the Kings part in Doncic, Porter and Bagley and why shouldn't there be? All are good prospects who will make the Kings better. I don't think they can go wrong with any 3 but obviously, they want to get the guy who is going to be the better pro. A case can be made for all 3.

 

[John Galt]

I swear to God the fan base brain has gone numb. Injured guy damaged goods we are giving the finger to the gods if we spew away our lottery win this way. I can’t look

He is a handful of magic beans. The most likely BY FAR to bust due to health questions. He has to be 35% better than Bagley/Doncic for it to be anywhere near a reasonable gamble.

If he is... ok I guess. But I really think the Kings don’t deserve their luck if they pass on Luka

 

[jcassio]

I think Mikal Bridges would have been the boards favorite if we had stayed at #7. But being at number 2, there are other players with greater upside that are available to us. Mikal would had been my pick if we had stayed at #7.

I agree completely. While Mikal is not a #2 pick this year, I do think he's the most ready player to step in and contribute at both ends from day one. Even more than Doncic, although Doncic will probably have surpassed him by January if he isn't plagued by too much use and not enough rest (as in "oh my f'n hammy"). Porter has incredible upside, but I don't see him as much of an all-around contributor in his first year.

 

[Reverend]

That could be the case, or it could just be that Ham talks to Christie who likely is biased regarding Porter Jr given that he still has strong connections to Seattle/Washington.

There is a LOT of smoke around MPJ so I do believe there's also legit interest in him by the FO. How strong, I have no idea.

Isn’t it more likely that they are trying to draw interest in a trade a few slots down if somebody falls in love with MPJ? The Kings are really in a terrific spot in the draft they are going to be able to control how the top 10 shakes out more than anybody

I swear to God the fan base brain has gone numb. Injured guy damaged goods we are giving the finger to the gods if we spew away our lottery win this way. I can’t look

i think it’s all smokescreen to get someone who loved him at his pro day to trade up to get him. I absolutely believe he should atleast be considered, along with Bagley, but if this front office is gifted the 2nd pick and passes on Doncic I would be HIGHLY surprised.

 

[funkykingston]

Isn’t it more likely that they are trying to draw interest in a trade a few slots down if somebody falls in love with MPJ? The Kings are really in a terrific spot in the draft they are going to be able to control how the top 10 shakes out more than anybody

That seems very unlikely given that Porter represents a significant risk given his injury history and lack of college game tape. Nobody I've seen has Porter going #2 in this draft. A team would have to see him as the first or second best prospect in this draft AND be willing to give up assets to go get him and I just don't see it.

And trade downs only work if you can be sure that your guy is still on the board.

 

[rosa u podne]

Maybe because this is the Michael Porter Jr thread?

I didn't mean just in this thread, but overall I don't see Mikal Bridges thread. I mention him, because I like him, not just over MPJ, I would be happy if he is our 2nd pick. The main reason I mention him in this thread is that IMO after so many years of futility you can't risk with 2nd pick. Pick the guy you know will be at least very good NBA player. MPJ is risky because we don't know how he adjusts to higher level competition. In addition to that, while I think he is talented, I was not all that impressed with what I saw in videous. And finally he did have that injury, didn't play (well) after that and we don't know if it is fully healed. With no first round pick next year, miss with this pick (not aquiring very good healthy player) make us two years away from being two years away.

 

[206Fan]

Sure they do. Maybe influence someone higher to draft so that someone else falls. Or make someone behind them trade up with them to get mpj

no but I'm saying everyone was there at his pro-day. he could've been good, very good, great, or bad. either way, everyone saw the same thing. It would be completely different if this was a private 1 on 1 draft workout, but this was his pro-day. It's like GMs watching Doncic's latest game and one of them going, wow he impressed me with his 17pts 7 rebs 7asts. Not much smoke screen.

 

[VF21]

I just want to make sure that people understand that Porter never "broke" his back. His issues were with his disks. In terms of back surgery, it really isn't all that scary, but there is certainly a risk that the problems return. Back issues tend to stick around or come back. That being said, he's probably in the top 2-3 in terms of talent and depending on the medical results, may actually be drafted in the top 3. I really don't know the extent of his surgery or how complicated it was. Not all surgeries are created equal and I'm in no position to find out. If we take him, just gotta pray the back holds out.

https://www.sbnation.com/2017/11/20/16683022/michael-porter-jr-surgery-herniated-disc-spine-injury

 

[VF21]

I didn't mean just in this thread, but overall I don't see Mikal Bridges thread. I mention him, because I like him, not just over MPJ, I would be happy if he is our 2nd pick. The main reason I mention him in this thread is that IMO after so many years of futility you can't risk with 2nd pick. Pick the guy you know will be at least very good NBA player. MPJ is risky because we don't know how he adjusts to higher level competition. In addition to that, while I think he is talented, I was not all that impressed with what I saw in videous. And finally he did have that injury, didn't play (well) after that and we don't know if it is fully healed. With no first round pick next year, miss with this pick (not aquiring very good healthy player) make us two years away from being two years away.

IIRC there was talk of him when we were picking #7. There just isn't much play on him at #2. There will only be one pick off the board when the Kings make their selection. Bridges just isn't in 99% of the discussions.

 

[roasthawg]

I like Bagley and Doncic at two. I'm trying to warm up to Porter because I think the Kings' interest in him is real but even just watching this simple highlight video of Doncic and Porter I'm far more drawn to Luka's game.

MPJ is far more athletic and has a great shot with a few ways of getting space for it but I see so much more in Doncic. Fantastic passing instincts, pick & roll mastery, good shot mechanics that will improve, even just the awareness to backcut when his man overplays him. Doncic is just on a different level than Porter in terms of his awareness and understanding of the game. He also plays with a lot of passion and shows leadership while winning everything he could win this year. And for my money he's a lot more fun to watch too.

If the Kings take Porter I'll root for him to succeed and for me to be wrong but he's not my guy.

The only thing is, and I know I'm beating a dead horse here but this is what we're all gonna do for the next week and a half I guess, is how do these players skills translate to the NBA. Mpg is athletic which means he has a decent chance at doing what he does well in the NBA. I wish he was a little longer though, he's good sized but lacking freakish length. Luka is neither freakishly long nor athletic so that makes it even tougher for him to translate what he does to the NBA.

I agree that Luka is the player I'd want between these two at a be lower level of competition. Whether it's the NCAA or euro league I'm picking Doncic over Porter. But I might also take kaminisky, McDermott, Trey Burke, jimmer fredette, Evan Turner, Tyler hansborough, etc over mpj at the college or euro level. All NCAA players of the year that lacked athleticism or freakish length to translate their games to the pros.

 

[Ozymandias]

Why? because he dominated in high school as older senior?

Him saying that he played two years before the operation true pain isn't postive.Also that he started feeling pain as soon as he had some bad food?(months after operation).Broken back at younger age don't become magical better as you get older.

That is if you dismiss some obvious flaws he showed before college year.Bad defender,when he´s back was/were good he couldn´t get in the stance and stop anyone.Did not show some special feel for the game,a bit of a black hole.And his ball handling is bad even if he´s gona play PF (and he will).

Also be careful in believing anything during silly season

https://twitter.com/statuses/1005254676504293377

6/20 (30%) in FIBA basketball for 3 , one of few competitive games we can even judge him.
And all that happened before ugly operation and losing one all year in development(important year).

He was flawed prospect before missing all year in college due to back injury.
"Reaching" for him at second with other prospects on the board is risky to say the least.

It seems Porter even benifited of not playing all year and relaing on AAU hype , while other prospects are beaing nitpick to pieces.

And yeah i am Doncic guy but i like other prospects(Bagley,JJ) but i cant understand all this love for Porter , justbecause he could with 6-11 height shoot over kids in high school (and had a back operation in meantime) , if you wana gamble on that , your one brave man.Brave or something else.

This is so jaded and lackinhg perspective. A vast majority of the best players in the history of the NBA come from American High schools. Team USA is absurdly dominant at the youth levels and international prospects show up as imports from across the globe by the 100s'every year trying to test their mettle vs the best competition their age.

These doncic elitists try to talk about the US/ AAU system like it's dante exum's HS competition.

 

[Ozymandias]

IIRC there was talk of him when we were picking #7. There just isn't much play on him at #2. There will only be one pick off the board when the Kings make their selection. Bridges just isn't in 99% of the discussions.

He's too skinny to go #2, he just doesnt posess the starpower of these other options.

 

[Joshoua]

The funny thing is if the picks Porter all the true Kings fans that are Doncic supporters are gonna be won over by his pure offensive skill in no time.

We gonna talk ourselves to whoever we draft