- 7,391
- 29,231
To echo what I think is a common sentiment: I don't think that we drafted Otto with the expectation that he'll become an All Star. In this draft class, nobody knows who the future All Stars will actually be - and anyone who claims otherwise is blowing smoke. It's a gamble.
What we do know for certain is that Otto Porter will be a great teammate. His versatility means he's suitable for a wide variety of roles - and his humility means that he'll be willing to accept any of those roles so long it benefits the team. He's a glue guy, and such players are rare and indispensable.
This isn't a video game. If you replaced Dennis Rodman with Shawn Kemp on the '96 Bulls, they wouldn't suddenly go 82-0 just because Kemp would've been rated a 90 and Rodman a 75. Kemp never would've accepted a tertiary role, even if it meant winning a championship. You'd much rather have Rodman playing to 100% of his capability than Shawn Kemp playing at 50% of his. Obviously Otto isn't anything like Dennis Rodman, but the point is that you only need so many players who can score 30 points a game. The rest need to DEFEND, play their position, and demand at least a body when on offense. It's actually advantageous, in today's NBA, that we drafted somebody who won't demand a max level contract. We'd just have a James Harden situation on our hands and groom an up and coming superstar for somebody else.
Porter did not impress in summer league, and folks are down on him for that reason. I'm not concerned about his box score in a pickup game. I'm more concerned with his defense and his intangibles. He's a guy who has as much potential to be an impact defender at this level as anyone in the draft - including Victor Oladipo. Everyone was high on MKG last summer due to his effort and defense. With Porter, you have a little less passion, but a lot more polish.
It's difficult to be bullish on the Wizards with injuries already wreaking havoc on our roster before the preseason has even begun, but I'm more satisfied with the direction of the team than I'd thought possible under the current regime. I hate to say it, but a failed playoff bid could be a blessing in disguise for this team. It would finally give Ted cause to usher out Wittman and Grunfeld and we all know that next year's draft looks to be the strongest class in years. However remote the chances, the more chips we can give ourselves in the Greg Monroe sweepstakes the better. We need more youth and durability up front.
Wow.. I didn't even know there was a different CSN channel. That's so stupid that they aren't showing anything
He had 12 rebounds in 28 min though.. 
