This piece does not reflect the views of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

SG, Freshman, USC

6’5, 212 pounds

College Stats in 2018-19:

9.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.4 APG, 47.1 FG%, 41.2 3P%, 52.2 FT%

Where he’ll go:

Porter Jr. is expected to be a mid-first-round pick.

The Rundown:

There’s a lot to like about Porter Jr.

He’s a natural scorer even if his points per game didn’t really reflect that from his freshman season at USC. He’s bouncy and extremely shifty. He has a nasty step-back jumper and his handles are relatively tight.

Porter Jr. is an extremely confident young man, which can sometimes be a negative. He’s not great at moving the ball and probably looks for his shot a little too much. Sometimes it’s too much mixtape and too little winning basketball.

He’s a plus offensive rebounder for his position, and that leads to a lot of putback opportunities. He attacks a rebound from the 3-point line and just kind of slithers to the rim, which is actually a good way to describe how he gets to the basket when he drives.

There’s a world in which it’s easy to see him becoming an instant-offense player for a team off the bench, but defense will need to be a priority for him. He takes plays off and can get lost defensively really quick. That could land him on the bench early in his career.

It’s worth noting that Porter Jr. was suspended midway through the USC season for personal conduct issues. He said at the Combine he plans to show teams who he is as a person.

“I think I can contribute to multiple teams,” Porter Jr. said in Chicago. “I feel like I just need to show my character and show they can trust me as a player and off the court.”

Porter Jr. also really needs to improve from the free-throw line. He shot just 52.2 percent in his freshman season, which is so weird considering he was a 40-percent 3-point shooter.

USC was a below average team in 2018-19 and a player like Porter Jr. will benefit from having better teammates. With that, it’s fair to question why Porter Jr. didn’t take more of a charge on the team, especially offensively.