michael-porter-hd.jpg

13 - Michael Porter

6-11, 210 Small Forward
Missouri Freshman
Birthday
06/29/98 (25.7 yrs)
Hometown
Columbia, MO
High School
Nathan Hale
Team Site Profile
Statistics
Athleticism
9
Size
9
Defense
7
Strength
8
Quickness
8
Leadership
8
Jump Shot
9
NBA Ready
9
Ball Handling
7
Potential
9
Passing
8
Intangibles
9

NBA Comparison: Kevin Durant/Joe Johnson

Strengths: Michael Porter Jr.’s situation is unique due to his minimal college basketball experience … However, he was a highly regarded prospect out of high school and is still in the conversation to be a top-five pick … Porter’s case centers around his unique blend of size, athleticism and advanced skill … At 6-10 with a 7-0 wingspan and 9-0 standing reach, he has the frame to be one of the league’s most physically gifted combo forwards … For perspective, Porter’s standing reach is equal to what Anthony Davis measured at the draft combine in 2012 … Porter combines fluid athleticism with comfort as a ball handler, three-level scorer and flashes of playmaking and defense … His physical tools make him a unique prospect in a draft class lacking top wing prospects … The fact that there is also an increasingly high demand for versatile two-way wings in today’s NBA further augments his value … Porter’s advanced offensive skillset will allow him to carve out a key role on an NBA team in some way or another … Although he performed poorly in his two full college games, this was likely due to rust, and his shooting numbers from his final season in the Nike EYBL are promising … Porter connected on 36.1 percent of his 3-point attempts while hoisting 5.4 per 40 minutes … He also shot 84 percent from the foul line on over 10 attempts per 40 minutes … Porter has a very high release point that makes it difficult for defenders to contest … He also has very smooth mechanics and gets excellent rotation on the ball with deep range when his feet are set … He can also make a variety of difficult shots from all over the floor … NBA offenses aren’t always capable of generating the perfect shot, so when things break down, having a player like Porter can be useful … Porter also shows flashes of solid playmaking … He occasionally whips passes down quickly into the post, finds rollers, moves the ball for better shots and uses his height to dump passes over the defense … Porter has potential to become a multi-positional defender who can help on the defensive glass, as evidenced by the 16.6 rebounds per 40 minutes he grabbed in the Nike EYBL … He also averaged 6.7 rebounds per game in 17.7 minutes per contest in three games played at Missouri …

Weaknesses: Porter needs to continue to add strength … His catch-and-shoot motion includes a heavy load-up and sometimes a long dip before getting into his motion … He must quicken his release against longer defenders in the NBA … While Porter certainly shows the ability to create for himself, especially in transition where he can really use his long strides and athleticism, he is less effective in the half court … He has a decent first step, can carve out space at the rim with good upper body strength and is a creative finisher around the basket, but he lacks the necessary advanced dribble moves to separate from quality defenders on a consistent basis … Porter also has room to improve in terms of getting others involved … Although he averaged 3.7 assists per 40 minutes for MoKan Elite in the summer of 2016 and has decent court vision, he often gets tunnel vision and dribbles with his head down … He also averaged only 0.3 assists in three games at Missouri … Porter is also very inconsistent defensively at this stage … At times, his size and mobility are overwhelming for smaller opponents, but occasionally, he can be lackadaisical in making rotations and getting back in transition … His lateral quickness also isn’t great, and he doesn’t always sit down in a stance … The burning question that will dominate all of those on-court questions, though, is Porter’s health … A lot of times, players who undergo disc-related surgery report additional back problems at some point during their career … Whatever team selects Porter will have to be comfortable with his medical reports …

Notes: Measured: 6′ 9.5” barefoot, 6′ 10.75” in shoes, 211.0 lbs, 7′ 0.25” wingspan, 9′ 0.5” standing reach, 6.40% body fat and 8.75 inch hand length at the 2018 NBA Draft Combine … Attended Father Tolton Regional Catholic High School in Columbia, Missouri, before transferring to Nathan Hale High School in Seattle, Washington, for his senior year. His father, Michael Porter Sr., was hired by the University of Washington to be an assistant coach; former NBA star Brandon Roy was the coach of Nathan Hale’s basketball team…five-star recruit…participated in the 2017 Nike Hoop Summit, leading Team USA to a 98–87 victory over the World Select Team with 19 points in 23 minutes of play… injured in the first half of the season opener against Iowa State. Porter was expected to miss the remainder of the 2017–18 season because of a lower back injury which required surgery. On November 22, 2017, Porter had a successful micro discectomy of his L3-L4 spinal discs.

William P. Desautelle III 6/5/18

Strengths: It’s not often that you find an elite level size/shooter/athlete package at the high school level … Extremely mature, focused and hard working individual … Smooth and athletic wing forward with high level intangibles and competitiveness … Possesses tremendous size for a wing forward at 6’10 with a 7’0 wingspan and 9’0 foot standing reach … Could transition to being a face up four in today’s "play up a position" NBA … Possesses good coordination, fluidity, and versatility … Smooth shooting stroke with proper form, rotation, and arc … Draws fouls at a high rate … Reliable free throw shooter, shot 81.2% over the Nike EYBL and 86% his senior year at Nathan Hale. Gets great elevation with his shot combined with his size and length, can rise and shoot over the top of the defense … Excels in catch and shoot situations as well as one or minimal dribble pull ups … Highly efficient and consistent scorer … A pure shooter … Shot very well from three at 47% his senior year … Nearly automatic from midrange … Threat to score from anywhere within the half court … Moves well off the ball … High level athlete with great run and jump ability, especially at his height … Finishes well in transition … Quick off the ground. Has impressive second jump, giving him an edge on tip-ins and put backs. Good rebounder … Crashes offensive boards after nearly every missed shot … Plays well within the offense; doesn’t force his scoring or try to do too much. Squares up on the move and gets his feet set quickly. Stays balanced and shows good body control when he shoots on the move. Uses screens and curls well … Plays the baseline well … Has good potential as a perimeter defender with his length and ability to move his feet. Solid shot blocking ability … Solid court vision and passing ability … Strength has improved over the past year …

Weaknesses: Better ability to attack the rim off the bounce would add to his scoring arsenal … Tends to rely on shooting over the defense in the half court … Ball handling has improved but still needs to improve his overall ball skills, especially with his left hand … Straight line driver lacking in creativity and doesn’t break down the defense … Doesn’t create much off the dribble or have a lot of shiftiness in his game … Has to move without the ball and have separation before receiving it to create space … Relies on outjumping opponents at this stage, will need to improve offensive game moving forward … His pull up game can be predictable and won’t come as easy at the next level … If his shot isn’t falling, he doesn’t always have a way to get easy baskets … Can improve his offensive post game … Doesn’t make many decisions with the ball in a triple threat position, generally shoots off the catch or looks to give the ball up after minimal dribbles … His aggression and physicality doesn’t always match his natural ability … Should look to add strength and toughness … Playing against more physical defenders moving forward may take some adjusting … Can improve upon finishing in traffic …

Outlook: Measured 6’10’’ in shoes, with a 7’0’’wingspan, 9’0 standing reach and 216  lbs at the 2017 Nike Hoop Summit … Measured 6’10’’ in shoes, with a 6’10’’ wingspan and 195 lbs at the 2015 Nike Basketball Academy … Measured 6’8, 188 lbs, with a 6’9 wingspan at the 2014 Nike Elite 100 … Measured 6’7.5 without shoes, 6’8.5 with shoes, 193 lbs, with a 6’9.5 wingspan and 8’10.5 standing reach at the 2014 USA Junior National Team Mini Camp … Widely projected as the likely #1 pick for the 2018 draft and many scouts feel he would be first in the drafts before and after his … Incoming Missouri freshman. After an impressive Nike EYBL season, leading MOKAN Elite to win Peach Jam, Porter went on to lead Nathan Hale to an undefeated season going 29-0 (turning around a team with a previous record of 3-18), beating the likes of Sierra Canyon and Oak Hill Academy while averaging 34.8 points and 13.8 rebounds on the season, including 28 points and 17 rebounds in the Washington state 3A title game. Porter was named MVP of the McDonald’s All American game with 17 points and eight rebounds. Tied a game high 19 points at the Nike Hoop Summit … Naismith Player of the Year …

Evan Tomes 6/11/17

Strengths: 6’9 smooth and athletic wing forward … Possesses good coordination and fluidity … Smooth shooting stroke with proper form, rotation, and arc. Reliable free throw shooter, shot 81.2% over the Nike EYBL. Gets great elevation with his shot combined with his size and length, can rise up and shoot over the top of the defense. Excels in catch and shoot situations as well as one dribble pull ups. Efficient scorer. Shoots well from midrange and three. Moves well off the ball … High level athlete with great run and jump ability, especially at his height. Finishes well in transition. Quick off the ground. Has impressive second jump, giving him an edge on tip-ins and put backs. Good rebounder. Crashes offensive boards after nearly every missed shot … Plays well within the offense; doesn’t force his scoring or try to do too much. Squares up on the move and gets his feet set quickly. Uses screens and curls well … Plays the baseline well … Has good potential as a perimeter defender with his length and ability to move his feet …

Weaknesses: Doesn’t have a wide variety to his scoring arsenal. Doesn’t provide much in the half court outside of catching and shooting over defense. Not a strong ball handler. Straight line driver and doesn’t break down the defense. Doesn’t create much off the dribble or have a lot of shift in his game. Has to move without the ball and have separation before receiving it to create space … Relies on outjumping opponents at this stage, will need to improve offensive game moving forward. If his shot isn’t falling, he doesn’t have a way to get easy baskets … Doesn’t make many decisions with the ball, generally shoots off the catch or looks to give the ball up after minimal dribbles. His aggression and physicality doesn’t always match his natural ability … Solid passing ability but doesn’t show the ability to have the offense run through him yet … Needs to add strength. Can improve finishing in traffic … Lacks lower body strength when defending the post …

Outlook: Committed to play for Washington. Porter had an impressive Nike EYBL season, averaging a double-double with 22.8 points and 10.9 rebounds per game. He helped MOKAN Elite to win Peach Jam with 33 points while shooting 75% from the field in the championship game. With his length, athleticism, and shooting ability, Porter shows great long term potential and should have an impressive senior season. Porter will play his final year of high school basketball for former NBA player, Brandon Roy, at Nathan Hale.

Notes: Measured 6’8, 188 lbs, with a 6’9 wingspan at the 2014 Nike Elite 100 … Measured 6’7.5 without shoes, 6’8.5 with shoes, 193 lbs, with a 6’9.5 wingspan and 8’10.5 standing reach at the 2014 USA Junior National Team Mini Camp … Measured 6’10’’ in shoes, with a 6’10’’ wingspan and 195 lbs at the 2015 Nike Basketball Academy

Evan Tomes 9/18/16

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