When Paul Pierce opted to leave the Washington Wizards to join Doc Rivers in Los Angeles, most thought Otto Porter would slide right into the starting position.

Then Ernie Grunfeld acquired Jared Dudley from the Milwaukee Bucks for virtually nothing and signed Alan Anderson as a free agent.

Porter is someone whom the Wizards have been grooming to become a starter since he was picked third overall in the 2013 NBA Draft. Even though it seemed like he’d never get off the bench, especially following his rookie season, Otto Porter’s emergence was almost inevitable.

If you watched him play at Georgetown, it was clear that Porter had plenty skills that were transferable to the next level.

His improved jump shot, length, movement without the ball and willingness to run the floor made him a perfect fit along side John Wall and Bradley Beal.

Unfortunately, Porter essentially red shirted his first season behind Trevor Ariza and Martell Webster.

Last year was no different until the final stretch of the season.

Both Rasual Butler and Webster struggled mightily, leaving Randy Wittman no choice but to play Otto Porter.

Of course, the decision to play Porter should’ve been made a long time ago. Playing a 36-year-old Butler, even after his shooting regressed, was a terrible decision by Wittman. Luckily for us, he came to a sudden realization that a former third overall pick might actually contribute more than a declining almost 40-year-old in the playoffs.

Otto Porter averaged 10 points and 8 rebounds per game in the playoffs and shot nearly 38 percent from three.

Those numbers aren’t extremely impressive, but it was evident that Porter became an irreplaceable contributor. Porter shut DeMar DeRozan down and helped the Wizards secure a first round sweep over the higher seeded Toronto Raptors. Make no mistake about it: without Otto Porter, the Wizards wouldn’t have swept the Raptors.

At the beginning of free agency, the Wizards had no wing depth.

Butler’s hot-shooting saved them up until All-Star break last season, but it didn’t last. Webster was a non-factor and is basically on the roster just because he has a guaranteed deal. Washington isn’t going to re-sign Butler nor is Webster expected to contribute next season. So, Grunfeld added two starting caliber wings in Dudley and Anderson.

Many have penciled Otto Porter in as the starter for next season, but it’s not guaranteed.

Dudley, while more productive as a stretch four, is still capable of playing the small forward position. Porter’s defense has been great, but he’s still not capable of guarding bigger players.

Dudley, in theory, would be more capable of defending the likes of LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony. Dudley is also a career 40 percent three point shooter and has built a reputation of becoming one of the league’s elite perimeter shooters.

The same could be said for Alan Anderson, who has an outside shot at becoming a starter.

Anderson’s shooting isn’t as consistent as Dudley’s, but he’s still capable of creating for himself and is surprisingly a solid defender on the opposite end of the floor. His chances of becoming a starter seem low, but so were Webster’s in 2013. After a solid training camp and a handful of outstanding shooting performances at the beginning of the 2013 NBA season, Webster ultimately became Washington’s starter.

Wittman isn’t going to determine his starters before the start of training camp. Wall, Beal and Marcin Gortat are the only players who are guaranteed spots in the starting lineup. The rest will be determined by the players.

Washington could decide to start Nene again, or they could start Dudley at the four. They could also start Porter and Dudley together, or continue to play traditional ball with Porter and Nene on the floor together.

The point is, the Wizards have plenty of options heading into next season. But, will Otto Porter finally crack Washington’s starting lineup at the beginning of the 2015-16 NBA season?

Will Otto Porter Finally Start Next Season? Yes, it's his time to start

No, one of the veterans will start View Results