2019 NBA Draft

gyso wrote:

dboss wrote:Other PG's available late in draft

Shamorie Ponds -  has a little james harden to his game

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzAMGC7W538

Do you mean that he has trouble running microwaves and causes kitchen fires in the process?

That's why he isn't a lottery pick.


bob


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Boston Celtics draft 2019: Kevin Porter Jr., with advice from Isaiah Thomas, hopes to showcase his motor




Posted Jun 4, 4:51 PM






By Tom Westerholm | twesterh@masslive.com

BOSTON -- Out of all the draft prospects cycling through the Auerbach Center during the pre-draft process, former USC guard Kevin Porter Jr. has one advantage over most: He can pick the brain of former Boston Celtic Isaiah Thomas -- as well as a number of other current and former NBA players -- any time he wants.

Porter is a part of the tight-knit Seattle basketball community that produced Thomas, Jamal Crawford, Nate Robinson and many others. After his workout with the Celtics on Tuesday, Porter told MassLive that Seattle basketball players pick up tricks from one another constantly, and he has learned from not only Crawford, Thomas and Robinson, but also Zach LaVine and former NBA player Terrence Williams.


“I got a chance to play with all of them, and they taught me so much,” Porter said. “Really, I’m just grateful to be the youngest, to get their techniques and mechanics right.”

Porter, who will be 19 for the entirety of his rookie season, didn’t reach out to Thomas prior to his Celtics workout, but he plans to in the near future after all of his workouts are done. In the interim, he said Thomas told him to remain level-headed through the process.

“'Don’t get too high, don’t get too low,'” Porter said, quoting Thomas’ advice. “Of course, you’re going to get adrenaline running through you. These are people you’ve never been in front of, and it’s a dream come true finally, so of course you’re going to have adrenaline running, but stay calm, just breathe, play your game, play your pace and just have fun. That’s the most important thing they all tell me. If you’re not having fun, you’re not gonna play anywhere to your capability. So just have fun.”

At 6-foot-6 with long arms and plenty of athleticism, Porter is one of the more intriguing guards in the class. He’s a deadly isolation scorer, and he can create his shot in a variety of ways -- step-back triples, mid-range jumpers, floaters in the paint and finishing around the rim. He’s powerfully built, capable of finishing through contact and crashing the offensive glass. Porter can get caught up trying to do too much as a scorer at times, but he has a deep bag of tricks and limitless confidence in displaying them.


Teams need to see significantly more from Porter defensively, however. Off the ball, he lost track of his man frequently at USC, and his frame and athleticism should be more of an advantage than they have been. Meanwhile, his free-throw percentage is so low, it feels like an outlier: 52.2 percent on 2.2 attempts per game.

Porter knows all of the knocks against him, and he’s trying to counteract them.

“I just want (teams) to know I’m a high-motor guy," Porter told reporters. “Whatever they ask, I’ll adapt to it. And really my motor’s been questioned, so I just want to come out and show them that I really love the game and I’m passionate about it. And I work. I work, I work, I work, I work, every day.”

So where does Porter believe his reputation as a low-motor player comes from?

“I was a late bloomer in high school,” Porter said. “So, like, I didn’t really get that national kind of known rep. It was kind of like after my senior year. But locally I always was questioned about my motor and stuff like that. Just because it was -- I wouldn’t say it was too easy or anything like that, but I tended to sometimes take plays off, which I grew out of. So questions have always been asked about me. The people that really don’t know me, I just want to show that I’m a good guy. Off the court, my character’s high. My mom really spent a lot of time raising me. So how I look at it is just I want to represent my mom and myself good, just be myself.”


The Celtics generally are not afraid of swinging big in the draft -- Jaylen Brown is an example of a swing that connected, James Young is an example of one that didn’t. The Celtics could likely acquire Porter with the 14th pick if they decide the potential benefits outweigh the risk.

“You ask the managers and coaches and stuff about them and then, when we bring them into our place, we have a chance to sit down and ask them their version,” Celtics director of player personnel Austin Ainge said, when asked a general question about evaluating potential character issues. “So some people have told us -- you tell us what happened, right? Because everyone deserves to have both side of every story, good and bad. So we can get the kid’s perspective on their season, both on and off the court.”

Asked about Porter specifically, Ainge added: “He’s really talented. Still young, has some growing up to do, but the upside is legit.”

Porter, meanwhile, was taken aback by the elder Ainge -- Celtics GM Danny, who surprised the former USC guard with his personable nature.

“He was just a good dude,” Porter said. “I thought he was going to be really serious, one of those guys who is really serious and into it. He was into it, but he was having fun too. So I really enjoyed that.”


bob
MY NOTE:  19 years old, 6'6", 195# (RJ Hunter height and weight), 6'9" wingspan, 34" max vertical leap.  The Miami Heat are allegedly targeting him.  They pick #13, right before us.

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kdp59 wrote:pass thanks....especially at #14.

Kdp,

If Danny drafts Admiral Schofield I'd expect the Davis trade to be "on" and that Marcus Smart will be part of the package.


bob


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kdp59 wrote:I meant pass on Porter


on another note draft note

Jonathan Wasserman: Potential first-rounder Dylan Windler expected to work out for Brooklyn Nets today, Sixers Thursday, Celtics (for 2nd time) this weekend. – via Twitter NBADraftWass
Draft, Dylan Windler, Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets

Kdp,

I know you did. My comment was a non sequitur opinion.


bob


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