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It’s hard to be underrated when you’re an NBA champion, but several members of the Golden State Warriors have faced that exact slight over the years.
Doubters have questioned Steph Curry’s game outside of his shooting and Draymond Green’s offensive prowess for years. Klay Thompson caught heat more recently about his ability to come back from consecutive injuries.
But one NBA analyst suggested recently that one of the Dubs’ newest additions (and most recent departures, for that matter) may take the prize for “most underrated” over the last decade. That player is Otto Porter Jr.
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Otto Porter Has Proven Quintessential NBA Role Player When Healthy
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GettyFormer Golden State Warriors forward Otto Porter, Jr. looks on during a game against the Phoenix Suns.
Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report on Monday, August 29, dropped his list of the top 10 most underrated NBA players of the last decade, which included the likes of Danny Green, Joe Ingles and Paul Millsap.
Serving as the list’s anchor was Porter in the No. 10 spot, who Bailey described as the consummate 3-and-D type player in the league.
Injuries limited Porter to only 42 games across the 2019-20 and 2020-21 campaigns, but he showed he still has the defensive versatility and three-point range that made him a key rotation member during his 2022 title run with the Golden State Warriors. That combination secures him a spot here.
Since entering the league in 2013-14, Porter has averaged 10.6 points, 1.3 threes and 1.1 steals in only 26.0 minutes per game. His career 39.8 three-point percentage is right outside of the top 50 all-time.
While those numbers may not blow you away, they represent exactly the kind of gap-filling game that teams with high-volume guards like John Wall, Bradley Beal, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson need.
Regardless of who he’s played for, Porter has almost always moved the needle in the right direction. His teams are plus-2.2 points per 100 possessions when he’s on the floor compared to minus-1.9 when he’s off.
Otto Porter Displayed Value as Member of Warriors’ Title Team
GettyOtto Porter Jr. (right) and Gary Payton II (left) help Steph Curry up during an NBA Finals game between the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics.
Porter spent just one season in Golden State, but it was enough to prove his value on the biggest stage and get him paid.
During his one regular season with the Warriors, Porter appeared in 63 games and started 15 of those, logging more than 22 minutes of playing time per night. He posted averages of 8.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals, per Basketball Reference.
After helping the Dubs capture their fourth NBA title in eight seasons, Porter signed a two-year deal worth more than $12 million to join the Toronto Raptors — another quality organization with a strong roster to which Porter is likely to contribute in a meaningful way.
Another addition who contributed to Golden State’s championship success in 2021-22 was guard Gary Payton II. While his NBA career had been full of setbacks and interruptions until this season, Payton provided perimeter defense in crucial moments for the Warriors and was steady on offense.
Payton also departed Golden State after just one season with the team, joining the Portland Trail Blazers on a three-year deal worth more than $26 million.
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