Warriors find the perfect stand-in for Peyton Jr.! From the top salary to the salary, he became morant's ultimate nemesis?

When Gary Payton Jr. fell to the ground injured less than three minutes after the start of Game 2 of the series, the Warriors faced a major conundrum: Who would replace the gap left by the defensive man?

Cole used half-time trial and error to find the right answer to this key question, making veteran Otto Porter a key figure in this series. The former NBA flower discovery show, who has experienced ups and downs, has finally proved himself again on the long-awaited stage.

"It's nice to be back on the playoff stage. Once upon a time, I didn't know if I would ever have that experience again. Porter said in a recent interview with the media, the tone is vicissitudes, and it doesn't sound like a player who is only 28 years old at all.

Porter entered the NBA draft in 2013 and was selected by the Wizards with the third pick in the first round, although he was not the son of the chosen, but he was also pinned on high hopes. However, due to repeated injuries, he has never been given a real opportunity to cash in on his talent, and his career of less than 9 years so far feels as long as 19 years.

Porter's career began to deviate from a hip injury in his rookie season, and for the next 9 years, he continued to fight against various injuries, and at one point faced the danger of not being able to walk for the rest of his life!

In April 2018, the Wizards' fifth series of games against the Raptors in the first round of the playoffs, Porter fell to the ground after a breakthrough layup, and his left calf felt a tingle, so he withdrew from the game early, and for more than a dozen hours after the game, his entire left leg was completely numb.

Doctors gave medical advice after a detailed diagnosis — Porter had acute compartment syndrome and had to undergo surgery right away to prevent permanent muscle damage.

The injury is less than a year after Porter signed a four-year, $106 million top salary contract with the Wizards. Before the injury, he was seen as a promising 3D, the perfect complement to John Wall and Bradley Bill, but after the injury, he was quickly abandoned and dumped to the Bulls.

During his two years in Chicago, Porter played only 54 games due to back and foot problems, and in March 2021, he was sent to Orlando as an expiring contract. After this trade, Porter played only 3 games and was reimbursed early for the season due to a stress fracture in his left foot.

When Porter entered the free agent market as a "glass man" in August last year, he had given up all his past halo and reputation, and only wanted to prove that he could become a valuable NBA player and help the team win, so he was willing to accept the Warriors' one-year 2.4 million veteran base salary contract.

"He's been through so many injuries and has been wandering around for the last few years," Cole said in an interview, "just got a top salary and now he's signing a base salary." He's an understanding guy, he knows the league, he knows his profession, he's a player on and off the field, he's a player who enjoys coaching and one of the smartest players on our team. ”

Everyone loves money, but for Potter now, it's not the most important thing for him. His financial concessions have also been exchanged for the desired result — In the regular season, Porter has played a total of 63 games, the highest attendance since that critical injury in 2018, and a large part of the 19 games missed has been the Warriors' preventive choices to avoid overextending his body.

In those 63 games, Porter averaged 8.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game, but the statistics did not reflect his value to the team. According to statistics, Porter has spent 36% of his time in the center position this season, 34% more than his previous career record — just a small example of how many subtle adjustments and sacrifices Porter has made to help the Warriors win.

Connor Letourneau, a Warriors reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, once said of Otto Porter: He is an important glue in the Warriors, and he will do all the small things to keep the whole team alive.

Porter grabbed 16 rebounds against the Spurs on March 21, including eight offensive rebounds, and also delivered eight assists while playing jazz on Jan. 2, six steals against the Timberwolves on March 2, and two single-game blocks....

With a 39.8 percent three-point shooting percentage in his career, the shot is undoubtedly a key part of his personal value, but even if he doesn't shoot, there are still many ways he can influence the game.

"I don't let scoring define the way I play, and yes, of course I want my shots to hit accurately, but that's not the only contribution I can make in the game. I'll do everything I can — defend, grab rebounds, provide energy — to help the team. ”

In the first seven games of this year's playoffs, Porter averaged only 3.3 points per game and shot only 30 percent from the field, including only 2 shots in 15 shots outside the three-point line, feeling cold to the bottom, but his average of +6.6 per game net difference was second on the team, behind Draymond Green.

In the first two series games against the Grizzlies, Porter averaged only 3 points per game, but he was able to grab 8.5 rebounds, contribute 3 assists and 1.5 steals, and although the Warriors and opponents were tied 1-1, his personal plus-minus was as high as +9.5 points per game.

"Otto can provide offensive space with his passes and cover, he knows the game, he knows how to give himself a chance to get a vacant position, and he also helps his teammates find empty spots. He was brilliant, scoring just one goal in the last game, but he beat his opponent by 17 points, and he knew how to affect the game, regardless of whether the feel was good or bad. Kerr said in an interview before today's game.

In this game, Kerr initially arranged for Cuminga to start, but it quickly proved to be a wrong decision. The Grizzlies quickly hit a 23-13 start, and it wasn't until Porter replaced his young teammate that the game changed.

As Porter himself said, as soon as he got on the court, he provided the team with energy in various ways - blocking Geidesmond Bain's layup, stealing Tyres Jones's pass, grabbing the rebound in the front court to play a second offense, and more importantly, he finally found his long-lost outside touch, two consecutive long-range shots!

Throughout the first half, Porter played 14 minutes and 24 seconds as a substitute, scoring 10 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 block on 4-of-5 shooting, and won 16 points on the court! It was with his outstanding performance that the Warriors went from trailing by as many as 13 points to leading by 12 points at one point!

In the second half, Cole simply let Porter start. And Porter, who was feeling hot in the hand, did not lose his cool, so he was greedy, and before the third quarter was replaced by Poole with 8 minutes and 24 seconds left, he did not try any more shots, but let the Warriors extend the lead to 19 points! Since then, the game has actually lost its suspense.

After the whole game, Porter's performance reflected in the data column is still only 13 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks, but the plus-minus is amazing +30 points! In this series, he played a total of 68 minutes, during which the Warriors beat the Grizzlies by 49 points, which is ahead of all his teammates such as Poole, Curry, Thompson, and Green, and ranks first in the team!

"Since that leg injury, I've been secretly determined to get back on the playoffs. Now that the goal has been achieved, I believe that hard work will really pay off. ”

Potter, who has gone through twists and turns, is actually not old. As long as he stays healthy, he will be the most reliable helper next to the "Splash Tea Dream" for the rest of this year's playoff journey, and even in the next few years.