A week before the NBA draft, former Missouri forward Michael Porter Jr. has cancelled a pro day that was scheduled for Friday because of a strained hip, ESPN first reported. Porter reportedly couldn't get out of bed because of muscle spams, per unnamed league sources. Porter held a pro day in Chicago last Friday where all 30 NBA teams were invited to watch his most extensive workout since undergoing back surgery last November. Porter appeared in only three games for the Tigers during his freshman season, including the final two games of the season. The nation's top-ranked high school player in 2017 announced plans to enter the NBA draft on March 26, 10 days after Mizzou was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament. Teams that choose among the first 14 picks in next Thursday's draft were invited to Friday's workout in Chicago, Michael Porter Sr. first told KMOX earlier this month.<doc-sep>With the 2018 NBA Draft nearly upon us, Koby Altman, general manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and his front office have left no stone unturned. They have worked out a ton of players including Duke’s Wendell Carter Jr., Kentucky’s Kevin Knox, Alabama’s Collin Sexton, and IMG Academy’s Anfernee Simons. After working out everyone and their cousin, Altman still was not content. Recently, assistant general manager Mike Gansey attended Missouri forward Michael Porter Jr.’s pro day in Chicago. This is the second time the Cavs have been linked to Porter, as they also met with him during the NBA Draft combine. Besides Sexton, there has not been a prospect the Cavs have shown so much interest in like Porter. It does make sense, though. Heading into the collegiate season, Michael Porter was considered the best player in the 2018 Draft class. This was after being named as the Gatorade Player of the Year, Naismith Prep Player of the Year, USA Today’s High School Player of the Year, and a McDonald’s All-American in 2017 in high school. One of his best games came in the 2017 Nike Hoop Summit against top competition: But things came crashing down for Porter two minutes into his Missouri debut. Soon after, he was ruled out for the majority of the season with a spine injury. He was able to return for Mizzou’s last two games of the season, but was not able to showcase much and only averaged 10.0 points and 6.7 rebounds. After declaring for the draft Porter has garnered a lot of interest from plenty of teams in the top 10. This is because a lot of teams believe that he has fully recovered from his injury. But, with missing almost the entire season and plenty of other stars shining, Porter has fallen from his early-on #1 spot and can easily find himself in Cleveland next season. If Porter does end up in The Land, there is a lot he can bring to the table. Today we will break down his strengths, weaknesses, and how Porter very well may end up as a future face of the franchise. Strengths With only a little bit of tape on Porter’s college career, it is hard to really pin down his true strengths and weaknesses. With his high school career barely in the rearview mirror, and if you buy into the hype, there is plenty to see what makes Porter so tantalizing. Overall, Porter is a tall (6-foot-10), lengthy (7-foot wingspan), athletic forward that looks extremely comfortable in his body. He also is a polished perimeter scorer, who can also hurt teams when attacking the rim. He is an NBA analytics wet dream, as he has all the intangibles of a modern NBA forward. He is also comfortable at handling the ball and can act as a one-man fast break. Porter also is oozing with swagger and confidence that is backed up by his dominant offensive game. He also went as far as to say during the NBA Draft combine that he was the best player in the draft, despite the injuries: Porter is an offensive phenom and has a killer attitude to back up his game on the floor. Other than scoring, Porter is a quality rebounder as well. In his short college career, he averaged a respectable 6.7 rebounds per game. These rebounding numbers show that Porter is super comfortable in his massive body, and could allow him to play either forward spot. Because of this, he has the potential to be a competent switch defender which is vital against modern NBA offenses. Weaknesses Despite his refined offensive game being one of his biggest strengths, it also is one of Porter’s biggest weaknesses. Through his limited time at Missouri, Porter has at times drawn comparisons to Minnesota Timberwolves forward Andrew Wiggins. By this, it means Porter is a bit of black hole on offense. He only averaged a measly 0.3 assists per games while attempting 14.5 shots per game. Getting buckets is great, but Porter cannot beat NBA teams by himself like he did throughout his high school career. The thing is, a lot of this may have been fixed if he was able to grow and develop while at Missouri. Missing out on a year of basketball, especially against NBA-level players, obviously set him back. Heading into the NBA, especially as a top pick, it will put a ton of pressure on Porter. With missing a year of development he may have a rocky start to his professional career. Because of this, there are some fears that Porter could be a player who gets buckets, but at the same time also gets donuts in the assist column. The other major flaw in Porter’s game is his overall defense. Above, it was mentioned that due to his length athleticism, Porter could end up being a solid NBA defender. But, during his time in high school and college, there were times his defensive motor was questioned. This issue reeks of Ben Simons during his time with LSU. Simmons was also questioned for his defensive attentiveness, and after a stellar rookie season defensively, his time in college could be chalked up to playing down to lesser competition. Until he sets foot on an NBA floor, the same will be said about Porter. Fit with Cavaliers All in all, the Cavs would certainly be swinging for the fences if they elect to draft Porter come draft night. Other than Oklahoma’s Trae Young, Porter has the potential to be the biggest boom or bust prospect. This entirely hinges on him being 100 percent healthy after his injury, but things are looking up for Porter. If everything does check out health-wise, the Cavs would arguably have a future rising star. Heading into college, the NBA player Porter drew tons of comparisons to Kevin Durant. While those are pretty lofty expectations, it is easy to see why. He would provide a high-flying scoring punch for the Cavs, from attacking the basket to all the way from beyond the arc. If coupled alongside LeBron James and Kevin Love, the Cavs would have one of the best 3-4-5 crews in the NBA. But, even if James does leave and Love is traded, Porter could also be a cornerstone and a future face of the franchise. As mentioned before, with all the potential Porter oozes with he could carry the torch for the Cavs for quite a while. It all just depends if the Cavs are willing to gamble on the health risk on the aspect of star potential. But, as long as everything pans out for both Porter and the Cavs, the future would look extremely bright.<doc-sep>Top-level Knicks brass will head to Chicago on Friday to work out Missouri small forward Michael Porter Jr., according to an NBA source. One year ago, the uber-athletic Porter was projected as the No. 1 pick of the 2018 draft, but he played in just three games for the Tigers last season after suffering a back injury in his collegiate debut. After undergoing surgery in November, it is unclear where Porter will be selected in the June 21 draft. His medicals are deemed crucial in determining his stock, but he didn’t submit to any of those tests at the NBA Draft Combine in mid-May. In an peculiar scenario, the Bulls’ medical staff reportedly is in possession of Porter’s medical records and is sharing them with certain clubs. Chicago selects seventh. “[The surgery] was a step back to take three steps forward,” Porter said at the draft combine. “I took a step back, but now I’m able to reach my full potential being out of pain.” The 6-foot-10 forward, an AAU teammate of former Oklahoma guard Trae Young, would fit perfectly on the Knicks’ roster. Despite the murkiness of his back issue, he still appears to be a long shot to fall to No. 9, according to sources. The Knicks interviewed Porter at the combine and will do so again Friday. Porter said at the combine being drafted by the Knicks would be “awesome.’’ “I loved meeting with them, they knew everything about me,’’ Porter said. “It was cool meeting with those guys.” Porter, who also hurt his back as a high school sophomore, proclaimed to still be the draft’s most talented player. “They had me as the No. 1 player in high school, but I didn’t even feel I was 100 percent,’’ Porter said. “And I do now. So now I’m excited to show everybody the player that I am, that I’m still the best player. I got a little chip on my shoulder.’’ Porter staged a pro day in Chicago on Friday and The Post reported the Knicks had representation present. SNY reported scouts Walker Russell and Fred Cofield were in attendance. Porter is based in Chicago to be close to his agent, Mark Bartelstein.<doc-sep>
Michael Porter, who entered this year’s NCAA season considered in some circles as a potential number one pick, has seen his stock fall heading into the NBA Draft, which is suddenly just 10 days away. A back injury that robbed him of most of his freshman season that culminated in a brutally inefficient comeback at the end of the year has caused his stock to slip, which means he’s in play for the Cleveland Cavaliers with the number eight pick in the draft. According to Cleveland.com, the Cavs had a representative at Porter’s pro day in Chicago on Friday: At least one member of the Cavaliers’ front office attended Michael Porter Jr.’s pro day workout in Chicago on Friday, a league source told cleveland.com. The workout took place on the same day the Cavs lost Game 4 of the NBA Finals to the Golden State Warriors and were swept out of the series. Assistant general manager Mike Gansey has been overseeing most of the organization’s draft prep while the team battled its way through the playoffs. It’s obviously a tough turnaround for a franchise that was playing in the NBA Finals to also worry about draft contingencies, but that’s why these guys get paid the money they do. There’s certainly a possibility that the Cavaliers don’t make this pick at all — if they want to get additional superstar help for LeBron James, it’s almost certain that they’ll have to flip the pick. If James doesn’t appear to be sticking around in free agency, the team will want a player that they think could have star potential to help bridge the gap. Porter’s stock may have slipped, and there are holes in his game, especially as a ball handler and defender, but there’s a reason he was so highly regarded coming out of high school. The Cavaliers would likely be thrilled if he dropped to them at eight. We’ll see if it comes to that.