Rich Nurse (@followthepen)
Kevin Porter Jr. (Freshman)-USC-Guard
With the 13th pick in the NBA Draft, the Miami Heat should select USC’s Kevin Porter Jr. While his maturity has been questioned, Porter Jr’s scoring ability is undeniable. Not only could he potentially fill the points void Dwyane Wade left, off the bench and in retirement, he comes with a propensity to put the ball in the basket in a variety of different ways. But, they also said the same thing about Michael Beasley.
Kenneth’s Take– Porter Jr. is a 6’6 silky smooth shooting guard from the Seattle, Washington area. If you had the chance to watch his game in motion this past season for the Trojans of USC, he displays a similar nifty and deceptive handle that has come to be a staple of players from that region. Think Isaiah Thomas (not Isiah Thomas), Nate Robinson, and more notably, Jamal Crawford.
On top of the snazzy dribbling abilities though, Porter Jr. is adept at using his handle to get to pretty much anywhere on the floor that he wants. He can finish in transition, in traffic, under the rim, above the rim, from the mid-range, and from deep with his lefty stroke. As Rich stated above though, maturity concerns may outweigh his talent and if there is one thing that is frowned upon in South Beach, it is poor character which may keep him off the Heat’s draft board.