Feb 28, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards forward Otto Porter Jr. (22) dribbles as Cleveland Cavaliers forward Richard Jefferson (24) defends during the second half at Verizon Center. Washington Wizards defeated Cleveland Cavaliers 113-99. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Wizards have put faith in Otto Porter as their starting small forward, and now it’s on him to make the most of the opportunity

Not too long ago, Washington Wizards fans pleaded with their team to #FreeOtto on social media.

Up until this past season, Otto Porter‘s role with the Wizards was uncertain.

The team was reluctant to give him major minutes after his excellent summer league run two years ago, and signed Paul Pierce to fill the starting void left by Trevor Ariza‘s departure.

Once Pierce left town last summer, the Wizards lurked around for other possible veteran replacements, ultimately landing Alan Anderson.

At the very least, Anderson was expected to be a major contributor off the bench. As a scorer and versatile defender, Anderson was supposed to challenge Porter for minutes. Of course, due to injuries, that never happened.

Porter, who played less than 20 minutes per game the season prior, played over 30 minutes per game last season. His shot totals increased with the minutes, but he surprisingly became more efficient.

Some fans often complained about Porter’s inconsistencies, especially his timid play and struggles defensively, but in a season that was largely viewed as a disappointment, Porter was certainly one of the few bright spots.

Averaging roughly 12 points and 5 rebounds per game, Porter finally started to show everyone why the Washington Wizards picked him third overall in 2013.

The former Georgetown Hoya displayed a fantastic basketball I.Q., getting by with simply moving without the ball, finding clean looks from deep and running in transition.

Porter has finally seen real game minutes and he’s due for an extension next summer. It’s crazy to think that we’ve already reached this point, but we have. This upcoming season is essentially make or break for Porter.

Washington didn’t land a player this off-season that will take minutes away from Porter.

The risk of losing time to a veteran player is gone.

Porter is the most experienced small forward on the roster.

That alone could either create a disastrous situation for the Washington Wizards or allow the young players to thrive under Scott Brooks. Really, there’s no in-between.

Kelly Oubre is entering his second season and we still don’t know what he is – just like we didn’t know (and still don’t, in many ways) with Porter until he got legitimate playing time.

Oubre, who’s just 20, will probably play a key role off the bench. Brooks seems enamored by his potential, especially on the defensive end of the floor, and recognizes that the only way to develop players is to allow them to actually get minutes.

With that said, Oubre won’t challenge Porter for the starting role, nor will he be closing games for the team.

The rest of the small forward rotation is up in the air.

Tomas Satoransky, who played point guard for most of his career, is 6-foot-7 and might get some run at that spot. Jarell Eddie and Danuel House are both inexperienced and neither have secure spots on the roster.

Washington has given Otto Porter the ball and now they’re going to see how far he’s going to get with it in his hands. If this past season is any indication of his future success, then we can expect Porter to continue improving and make the most of his role in D.C.

Porter isn’t capable of defending the top small forwards in the league, but he can still be a successful defender in other ways. He has the length and awareness to be disruptive, especially in passing lanes.

Ariza isn’t the biggest nor strongest defender, but he knew how to utilize his length and force his man into tough shots. Porter needs to take a page out of his former mentor’s book this upcoming season.

Offensively, Porter needs to continue showing his improved range.

He’s always been relatively consistent from inside the 3-point arc, but the league isn’t built for mid-range shooters anymore.

Porter is going to get plenty of open looks from three, and he needs to knock them down. As I previously mentioned, he’s entering his contract year.

If there’s one thing John Wall does well, it’s getting 3-point shooters paid.

From Ariza, Martell Webster to most recently Jared Dudley, Wall has made the most of his outside threats. Porter could be in line for a major payday if he can continue to hit shots from beyond the 3-point arc.

During the 2015-16 season, Porter began to show much improved shooting late in the season. Prior to the All-Star break, Porter made less than 32 percent of his 3-point shots. After the break, Porter drilled an impressive 45 percent of his threes.

No one expects Porter to become J.J. Redick nor Kyle Korver overnight, but if he can make close to 40 percent of his shots from three, the Washington Wizards will be in solid shape.

He’s going to get the open shots, so it’s just a matter of knocking them down. For Porter, that means not hesitating and taking the shots when they’re available.

A lot of Washington’s success will ride on John Wall and Bradley Beal, but much of it will depend on Porter as well. He’s never going to be viewed as a “star” at this level, but there’s no reason why he can’t become one of the most productive players in the league. Washington believes he could become exactly that, and now it’s on Porter to prove it.