John Wall To Rest Against The 76ers, First Game Missed Since 2013 by Ben Mehic

For months, Washington Wizards fans have been wondering when Otto Porter Jr. would get his opportunity. Randy Wittman, notorious for favoring veterans, has been extremely hesitant to give Porter any significant minutes, much to the chagrin of many Wizards fans.

Wittman opted to play Rasual Butler and Martell Webster instead, forcing fans to wonder what might have been while the talented young wing the team drafted third overall collected DNPs.

Fortunately, Otto Porter has finally gotten some shine recently, logging 18, 38, 29 and 29 minutes in the Wizards’ last four games, and the results have been positive. The Wizards are 3-1 over that span, with Porter averaging 13.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2 steals on 54% shooting.

The hope is that Wittman will realize that Porter can be an asset and give him solid minutes in these last few regular season games as well as the playoffs. When you look at the alternatives, it looks like he may not have a choice.

Rasual Butler was shooting the lights out early this season, but as expected, he fell back down to earth, and he fell hard. Butler has shot less than 30% from beyond the arc since January, failing to do the one thing he was brought in to do.

When Butler’s three point attempts aren’t falling, he becomes a severely limited offensive player. Ditto for Martell Webster. With the way Butler and Webster have been playing lately, there’s really no valid argument to playing them more than Porter. Porter is much more dangerous on both ends of the court, and he has infinitely more upside.

Otto Porter moves well without the ball, and he’s been very effective in transition.

In an offense as bland and spacing-starved as Washington’s, those are valuable traits.

He can create his own much easier than Butler or Webster, and he can run the fast break alongside Wall.

He’s also improved his shooting lately, particularly from three point range, where he’s shooting 50% over his last four games.

His effort and versatility adds a splash of excitement to the Wizards’ offense, and while he’s not polished enough to be a huge difference maker yet, he’s grown enough that defenses have to start accounting for him.

Otto Porter has also been getting it done on defense, disrupting offenses, crashing the boards and chipping in with multiple steals per game. Porter’s size (6’8″), length, and athleticism are all assets on the defensive end, and barring his inexplicable lapse against Tony Snell, he typically works hard and defends with effort.

If he can continue on this trajectory, Porter projects as a long, athletic, on-ball menace and plus rebounder who can end possessions and ignite fast breaks.

Paul Pierce and Rasual Butler are aging, Martell Webster looks done after two back surgeries, and #KD2DC looks less and less likely with each passing day. The Wizards are about to get really thin at small forward, making Porter a valuable commodity. As Ben Mehic notes, the Wizards would be wise to make Otto Porter’s long-term development a priority.

The Wizards are 9-2 when Porter starts, and while he’s hardly the sole reason for that gaudy mark, it shows that he’s comfortable playing with the starters and that his game meshes extremely well with Wall’s. His versatility allows him to fit into a variety if lineups; he can play the 2 or the 3, and he can play alongside Paul Pierce in small ball lineups.

Otto Porter’s versatility, defense, movement and all-around production may make him an x-factor come playoff time. His confidence continues to grow, and if he can just get some consistent minutes, you get the feeling that he may start to put it all together sooner rather than later.

He makes the Wizards a much more threatening team when he’s playing well, and if these playoffs are truly his coming-out party, it could really change the trajectory of the Wizards’ future.

#FreeOtto