When the Golden State Warriors signed Otto Porter Jr. offseason, many didn't think his arrival would have much of an impact on the Warriors, as his career has been plagued by injuries, and even when he's in full health, he doesn't play much in the Warriors' system, only as a 3D player to provide depth to the Warriors' flanking bench. But on the contrary, the 28-year-old has reinvented himself this season as a big part of the Warriors' system.
Porter has redefined his career this season, but there is no doubt that his highlight moment was a brilliant performance in the Christmas battle with the Phoenix Suns, which was also a microcosm of his Golden State Warriors basketball transition, and in the final minutes of the game, Porter was like a big coach, hitting several key jump shots in a row, and swearing that he had regained the shooting ability he had become famous for.
Porter signed a four-year, $106.5 million contract with the Washington Wizards in 2017, but in the past few seasons, countless injuries have plagued Porter, and he is no longer the tantrum he was originally selected at the highest level in the 2013 draft, which is why the Warriors were able to sign him on a base salary contract.
The decline in athleticism, combined with his 2.03m tall, forced Porter to change his position and playing style in a league where the lineup was getting smaller, becoming an inside player in the small-ball lineup. However, the change in play did not start with the Warriors, his change actually began last season, but because of injuries and unclear roles in the Chicago Bulls and Orlando Magic, his game time is very limited, so many people have not noticed his change. According to official NBA statistics, before last season, Porter's playing time as a big forward never exceeded 36% of his total playing time, but in the last season, Porter's time as a big forward has increased to 53%.
After Porter joined the Warriors, his position changed drastically again. The Warriors are a team known for their small-ball lineup, and while Porter still plays 53 percent of the time as a big forward, the remaining 47 percent of the time is spent in the top center position in the small-ball lineup, rather than returning to the small forwards as in the past, which is a brand new challenge for Porter, who has never played more than 1% in the center position in his previous eight seasons.
Porter's statistics reflect the way he's tackled new challenges, and Porter has always been seen as a versatile defensive player, and now he's a great blocker with a blocking rate of 2.5 percent, well above the career-high of 1.7 percent in his previous career and nearly double his career average of 1.4 percent. And Porter's rebounding percentage of 13.3 percent was the second-best achievement of his career, slightly down from 13.8 percent last season, though he was primarily a big forward at the time, and his ability to protect rebounds on a team that lacked real interior players has been a valuable asset for the Warriors.
In terms of offense, Porter's role is simpler, last season's Warriors due to the lack of outside shooting threats, the number one star Stephen Curry even if he played against the sky, is also difficult to support, the offensive rating is only ranked 20th in the league, and Porter's addition helped the Warriors improve their offensive rating to no. 3 in the league this season. With 65.3 percent of his shots coming from outside the three-point line, 19.5 percent higher than he's been in any previous season, Porter's usage has plummeted, and with 15.1 percent utilization being the lowest level in his career, it's clear that he's playing simpler than ever.
Like veteran André Iguodala, helping Porter stay fit is a priority for the Warriors, not just because of the injuries he has suffered in recent seasons, but also because he is now a big part of a championship-winning team.