As the Boston Celtics succumbed to the Milwaukee Bucks in the opening game of their playoff series, it quickly became clear that the team needs additional shooting off the bench.
As things stand, the Celtics roster is full, and cap space precarious, but Boston will head into the off-season armed with a mid-level exception that could be incredibly beneficial when speaking with free agents.
Ideally, any new addition to the team will be a veteran in the league with a track record of shooting an above-average clip from deep on respectable usage. Of course, finding players like that within your price range isn’t the easiest task, but bargain hunting never is. Still, there will be a few options for the Celtics to explore, with one of the more notable names being Otto Porter Jr. from the Golden State Warriors.
In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Grant Hughes noted that Porter Jr. was one of the more under-the-radar players to be hitting the open market at the end of this season, and that could be a blessing in disguise for the Celtics.
Otto Porter Jr is a high Iq player, see this pass for example. He is our new iggy. A versatile utility type of vet.
“The 28-year-old, signed to a minimum deal with the Golden State Warriors, averaged 8.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 22.2 minutes per game—no better on the surface than the 9.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.0 assists he put up between the Bulls and Magic.
Look a little deeper and you’ll see why Porter should be in much higher demand this offseason than last. For starters, he took a larger share of shots from beyond the arc than ever before, and he was especially deadly above the break, where he drilled 39.0 percent of his attempts. Slimmer and more mobile, Porter also finished at a career-best 72.0 percent clip at the rim,” Hughes wrote.
Does Porter Jr. Fit With Boston?
When looking at potential additions to a team on the rise, the first question you need to ask is ‘would this player be comfortable coming off the bench?’ and in Porter Jr., you can safely assume that wouldn’t be an issue. The 28-year-old wing participated in 65 games for the Warriors this season, starting just 15 of them, so it’s safe to assume he would have no problem being part of a team rotation.
From a skillset standpoint, Porter Jr. brings shooting and rebounding, two skills the Celtics are screaming for off the bench. Throughout the regular season, the Missouri native averaged 3.4 three-point attempts per game and converted at a 37% clip, which is a clear upgrade over most of Boston’s bench performers.
The Celtics have allowed 20 points off of turnovers through 3 quarters. Pair that with 32% shooting from the field and you have a recipe for disaster
Furthermore, Porter Jr. is six-foot-eight, which fits Brad Stevens’ bill of adding shooting with size, and having played for the Warriors this season, has already proven himself capable of operating in a switch-heavy defensive system.
“Porter remained a phenomenal rebounder for his position and continued to post elite steal rates, using his length and active hands to disrupt opposing offensive players,” Hughes noted in his piece when talking about Porter Jr’s upside on defense.
Would Boston be Interested?
Since Ime Udoka has been in the Celtics hot seat, it’s become abundantly clear that he favors experienced players in his line-up. Porter Jr. fits that bill after nine years in the NBA where he has played for four teams, which means Udoka should trust him enough to give him minutes from the get-go.
It’s also worth noting that while with the Warriors this season, Porter Jr. began to spend time as a small-ball five, with Basketball-Reference tracking him as spending 36% of his total minutes at the center position. That type of versatility would work wonders for the Celtics, as their two-big lineup can often become troublesome when somebody is out for a prolonged period of time with injury.
Of course, the Celtics don’t project to have much wiggle room on their cap sheet this off-season, so any move to add Porter Jr. to the roster would need to be at the mid-level exception or below, which means they may have to wait and see how the market shakes out for the sharpshooting wing before making their move.
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Former Top-3 Pick an ‘Under the Radar’ Free Agent Fit for Celtics