For a year there, Isaiah Thomas was even better than Isiah Thomas.
The modern NBA guard had one of the great seasons in 2016-17. And last week, Isaiah tweeted: "Michael Porter Jr. is the best player in the draft!!! No question about it ... Pass on him if you want to."
It was a strong proclamation and also fitting that, of all the stars to tweet it, it was from Thomas. Not doubting him, but it's interesting because, in many ways, Thomas and Mizzou's Porter are similar. Twelve months ago, each was at the top of their respective hoops world. Thomas averaged 28.9 points per game for Boston, which advanced all the way to the Eastern Conference finals. And Porter was the Gatorade National Player of Year, No. 1, headed to Mizzou for his lone college season _ but, if allowed, could've been drafted in the top-four right then and there.
But here we are, draft week of 2018, and there are some concerns about Porter ... just like there are about Thomas, a free agent. Last season, both dealt with injuries that shook the "super" off "superhuman." Thomas only played 32 games, scoring just 15.2 points per game. And Porter, of course, got back surgery in the first month of the season, returning in March to play admirable but beleaguered basketball.
So, yeah, Michael Porter Jr. may be the best player in the draft, Isaiah. But there are questions about it. And teams will likely pass on him if they want to.
Because of all of this, the 6-foot-11 small forward Porter is one of the most-fascinating lottery picks in years. With DeAndre Ayton destined for Phoenix with the first pick, will Porter go second to Sacramento? Will he drop to Dallas at No. 5, becoming the Dirk disciple? Chicago at No. 7?
As a reporter who spent most of his professional life covering the NBA, I will say that Porter, when healthy, plays just a beautiful brand of basketball, fit for the pros. We saw him in Mizzou's ballyhooed preseason game against Kansas, in which he created his shot so fluidly, so effortlessly. Even when he returned to the Tigers for the postseason, visibly fatigued without his famed burst, he still made space for open jump shots (but just missed many of them).
And consider this stat line: 16 points, 10 rebounds, three steals in 28 minutes. Pretty good, right? Most college players would take that. Well, that's what Porter tallied in Mizzou's first-round NCAA Tournament loss to Florida State. In that game, he was 4 for 12 and slow. But 16 points, 10 rebounds and three steals in 28 minutes is, categorically, Michael Porter Jr. at his worst.
But how different of a player is post-surgery Porter? And then came rumblings after Porter pulled out of a recent draft workout with hip pain and back spasms. The internet took that as: BACK-OCALYPSE! But Porter told ESPN Radio that reports of his injury were "exaggerated a lot." Of course, as Isaiah Thomas knows, returning from an injury, like recovering from an injury, is a journey in itself. But the optimist believes that Porter should be close to 100 percent by the fall, if not already in the summer.
But is this franchise talent a franchise leader? Porter was under a microscope at Mizzou, where we all analyzed his behavior _ and heard stories from around Mizzou Arena and Mizzou. There were murmurs about his investment into his team and teammates following his injury. And we know that Porter is very much into Porter. He posted numerous Instagram videos and photos, a few which were vague and poorly timed _ one of them, infamously, throwing the basketball program under the bus after a press release about Porter's recovery. Here's the thing, though _ some might say he's "immature," but is it possible that he's just, unabashedly, a teenager? Like, what did we expect, a gracious and polished pro?
I'm also curious how he'll handle the rigors of the NBA season, not just physically, but emotionally. One of his best traits is also something that could be detrimental _ he takes every game outcome so hard. After the preseason loss to Kansas, he looked despondent. He hasn't lost much in his life, and he'll have to, on the job, learn to lose, because even the Golden State Warriors lost 24 games.
Again, though, it's not like NBA teams are learning this stuff from reading this column. The research done on potential draft picks is extraordinary. And some team will bank its future on the kid.
And so, Thursday can't come fast enough. It sure should be exciting. The player who changed Mizzou hoops forever _ just by agreeing to play for Mizzou hoops _ will get drafted by an NBA team. Chicago could be cool, having Porter playing just a drive away from Missouri. Man, it's hard to think he'll be available at seventh. Imagine if I'd told you a year ago that Porter would slip to seventh in the 2018 draft?
Then again, a year ago, Isaiah Thomas had just completed his second-straight All-Star season. Now he, too, is waiting to find out what NBA team he'll play for, while question marks loom above him like shot-blockers in the lane.
