By James Blackburn
Game Scouted: UCLA vs. Georgetown (Legends Classic)
Georgetown wins 78-70
Otto Porter (6’9”, SF, SO)
Stats
35 min, 6-10 FG, 2-2 3pt FG, 4-5 FT, 11 reb, 5 assist, 3 steals, 5 blocks, 18 TP
Strengths
Very impressive performance from the sophomore forward. Porter is extremely versatile and put up numbers in practically every statistical column in the box score today. He has great length, which he uses effectively and to his advantage. He is a skilled offensive player who can shoot, pass, and handle the ball to a degree. He has good touch on his shot, and although he does have a low release point, doesn’t have much trouble getting his shot off. Good form on his shot, other then somewhat low release. Excellent FT shooter as well. Looked comfortable shooting the basketball, even out to the 3 point line. Good shooting touch but low release. Very good court vision who is unselfish and gets others involved. Can advance the ball after a rebound w/ a couple of dribbles and pass it up-court to open players- has eyes up. Had an on-target full court pass after rebound to open teammate up-court to secure win. Showed he could enter ball to post and throw rap around pass and lob pass- not a lot of players his size can do that. Does a good job cutting and thin pinning his man in the post and getting solid post position. Efficient offensive player. Doesn’t need a lot of shots to put up points and can impact the game on either end with out scoring- as he crashes the offensive glass aggressively. In the right place at the right time.
Very active defensively- provides good energy- has active hands. Involved defensively today whether it was rebounding the basketball, getting steals or blocking shots. Another thing that I liked was that he set good solid screens both on the ball and off the ball. Showed he could play top of zone or bottom of zone. Excellent defensive rebounder- stretches out and attacks ball- grabs it w/ 2 hands. Uses length to his advantage.
Definitely passes the look test. Directs traffic- especially on defensive end. Leader on the floor. Fits in with Georgetown’s system as he moves well with out the ball and is a good passer for a player his size.
Weaknesses
There was not a lot to critique in Porters game today against UCLA. One area where Porter could stand to improve in is his ability to slash and attack the rim from the perimeter off the dribble. He really had difficulty getting by his defender- which bodes concerns at the next level, where the defenders will be faster, bigger, and stronger. He lacks the speed and overall quickness to beat defenders on his first step. He is not very quick and must get stronger and add weight. He also needs to improve his ability to finish with contact which adding weight will help with. He not only had trouble dribbling around his defender but I did not see him create his own shot on the perimeter much either, something I will monitor more as the year progresses. Worth noting, however, is the fact that Georgetown’s offensive system and sets do not give much freedom to players as far as isolation and having to create their own shot- Otto does fit the Georgetown system perfectly.
While Porter does defend the paint well, he is an average on ball defender and must improve his ability to defend screens off the ball. He doesn’t go ball side when defending off the ball screens. He trails his man- instead of going up the gut and is too focused on his man only and is not aware of where ball is when his man is cutting off screens. Gets caught on screens too easily, which again speaks to his strength level.
Overview
This was Otto Porter’s first game back after missing a game because of concussion. He was named to the Pre-season All-Big East First Team, the only sophomore on the first team. Porter is currently being projected as a late lottery pick by several NBA Mock Draft websites, including Draftexpress. Otto has been playing extremely well these first few games and if this continues I see his stock continuing to rise, possibly getting drafted in the top 10 this next year. He offers a lot to NBA teams with his length, motor, upside, passing ability, and rebounding. I question however his ability to impact the game at the pro level in areas besides his rebounding. He is not very quick and would struggle to defend SF’s in the NBA. He must get stronger and he struggles to create his own shot on the perimeter, which is vital for his position in the NBA. I would project him to be a late first round pick as I believe his numbers will drop a degree as the year progresses. He is definitely worth using a first round pick on, I just don’t believe he is a lottery pick because of the above stated question marks.
*Editors Note- Porter scored 15pts, grabbed 5 rebounds, dished out 4 assists, and had 2 blocks against #1 ranked Indiana the following night in the title game in the Legends Classic.