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Why Michael Porter Jr. is a great fit for Mavs at No. 5

Michael Porter Jr.

Height: 6-10

Weight: 210

High School: Nathan Hale (Seattle, WA)

Stats (senior season): 36 points, 13 rebounds per game

College: Missouri

Stats (two games): 10 ppg, 6.7 rpg / .333 FG%, .300 3PT%, .778 FT%

Below is a brief breakdown of Missouri forward Michael Porter Jr.’s defined strengths, areas in which he continues to improve, and how he potentially fits with the Dallas Mavericks.

What Porter Jr. does well:

Shoots with range

Porter Jr. demonstrated a consistent stroke from deep dating back to his high school campaign. Nathan Hale, coached by former NBA guard Brandon Roy, steamrolled the prep circuit en route to an undefeated season during Porter Jr.’s senior year.

Able to slash and finish

Again, although this was tough to display in the three games Porter Jr. played at Missouri, if you go back to the Nathan Hale tape – the evidence is there.

Guard-level handles

At 6-foot-10, another advantage of Porter Jr.’s over similarly intriguing frontcourt prospects is the dynamic handle he possesses. The swingman appears comfortable slashing, creating and even initiating offense when necessary.

Capable of defending multiple positions

A trending point of emphasis throughout the NBA playoffs appeared to be coaches making the decision to switch defenders after a pick is initiated. In order to do this successfully, it is preferable to have five players on the floor capable of defending multiple positions. Porter Jr.’s length lends favorably to his defense of interior talents, his agility and recovery speed are traits that demonstrate his potential to defend quicker, smaller guards.

Where Porter Jr. can improve:

Frame

While I wouldn’t recommend the storied Charles Barkley approach — gaining a massive amount of weight between draft night and training camp by eating fast food — it’s apparent that MPJr’s slender frame could be the only barrier that refrains him from maximizing on his potential. Kevin Durant demonstrated there is an avenue for the slim-and-trim forward in today’s game. There are other players with comparable body types who didn’t transition as seamlessly as the reigning two-time Finals MVP. Otto Porter Jr., Brandon Ingram and Khris Middleton are all at least 6-foot-8 and weighed fewer than 220 pounds prior to being drafted.

How he projects with Mavs:

Porter Jr. is an intriguing piece because he already has developed an arsenal of go-to moves. But he also compliments another cornerstone piece for Dallas.

Dennis Smith Jr. is an aggressive guard who showed potential in screen-and-roll opportunities last season. At 6-foot-10, Porter Jr. is capable of shooting with range off a set screen or even potentially slashing to the basket for a follow-finish. The potential of this duo in pick-and-roll opportunities is instant offense waiting to happen.

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Podcast host and credentialed media member covering Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Wings | Roamed the rapidly growing area of Arlington Texas for the last 25 years. I graduated Texas Tech in 2014 with my Bachelor's degree in Media and Communications and currently obsess over basketball full-time. In my free time, I'm a substitute teacher and also an Uber driver. I've been following the Mavs since Jason, Jimmy and Jamal were young up-and-comers. If you need their last names, please don't ask me.

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