3 moves the Cleveland Cavaliers made that look good in hindsight
By Chad Porto
Kevin Porter Jr.
There’s no doubt that Kevin Porter Jr. could have helped the Cleveland Cavaliers with scoring off the bench had the team not moved him ahead of the 2020 season. He’s a talented-enough scorer for the Houston Rockets, but his splits aren’t next-level or anything. You’re not losing a Steph Curry-like player by moving on from Porter. You can find his level of production fairly easily.
Yet, in a vacuum, yeah, Porter would’ve helped the bench-scoring woes. The problem, however, is that he’s not exactly a reliable person. He’s constantly getting into fights both in and out of the arena. That type of unreliableness would eventually bite the Cavs in the rear. How can you rely on someone who behaves the way Porter does?
The other big hang-up is how would Porter be fair in J.B. Bickerstaff’s Cavs and Crash-style defense. Everyone sells out on this team, which is why they’re the top-ranked defense in the league this year. Could Porter actually sell out as so many Cavs players do on a nightly basis? I’m not sure, but I’m glad we don’t have to find out.
Porter is a double-edged sword in that regard. He’ll help you on offense but he may cost you on defense.