Watching Jontay Porter last season for Mizzou _ the 7-footer passing like a 6-footer, or making tough shots in the lane like an 8-footer _ it was apparent that the kid has an NBA game. And not just skills for any generation of the NBA, but a particular set of skills groomed for the modern NBA, a world where unicorns roam, and the tallest players play every position.
But just because you have an NBA game doesn't mean you're NBA ready. That might sound weird, but there's a distinction. And as Porter has made himself available for scouts during the draft process, they have found cracks in the foundation. And throw in the fact Porter is one of the youngest players in the draft _ if you recall, he skipped his senior year of high school to reclassify _ and that's why his name doesn't pop up often on many first-round mock drafts.
The SEC co-sixth man of the year has until Wednesday to decide if he will sign with an agent and stay in the draft or return to Mizzou.
It happens, from time to time, that an NBA team will privately tell a player, "If you're available when we pick in the first round, we guarantee we'll pick you." All it takes is one team, right? If you're picked in the first round, you're guaranteed a contract for three seasons (unlike being picked in the second round). If Jontay's decision is financially based, and he gets a guarantee, then it makes sense that he'll go pro. But if there isn't a guarantee, the past couple of months have essentially done the decision-making for Porter. That being, his NBA game isn't NBA ready yet.
At the Chicago combine, the 18-year-old Jontay had the worst "max vertical leap" of all the players who went through the testing, while he also had the highest body fat percentage _ 13.65, compared to SEC forward foe Kevin Knox, who had one of the best at 4.95. His three-quarter sprint rate was also extremely slow. For a team debating on taking a risk on the 18-year-old kid, these numbers don't encourage the gamble.
Most players are confident their game is NBA ready, and for Porter, who's thrived playing at higher levels his whole life, it's understandable. But the leap from college to the NBA game is even more drastic than high school to college _ with far fewer total teams, this makes for an elite level of basketball. Furthermore, the amount of games nearly triples. It doesn't look as if Porter's body is ready for the 82-game rigors just yet. You know what could help him get there? An additional year of grooming and developing.
Also, Porter's decision to go to Mizzou in the first place was based on family; the decision to go pro should not be. Yes, of course, older brother Michael Porter Jr. is a top-10 pick in the draft June 21. But going pro to share the NBA experience isn't a good reason to do it. The odds are low that they'd end up on the same team. And for those who thrive, the NBA can be a glamorous lifestyle, but for those at the end of a bench, the NBA can be a cold and lonely lifestyle. Jontay came to Mizzou to be surrounded by family _ big bro, dad the assistant coach, sister on the women's team, aunt the coach of the women's team. If he ends up with, say, the Oklahoma City Thunder, then it's just him in Oklahoma City. All year, being an adult in a high-pressure job at age 18, alone.
Again, if a team guarantees Jontay a first-round pick, that probably means the team sees him in their immediate plans. That could be a bunch of fun. Even so, even top picks have trouble locking down a key rotation role, let alone lower first-round picks.
So, yes, NBA Jontay would have a lot going against him.
But NCAA Jontay?
Now we're talking about a guy with an NBA game, getting ready to be NBA ready.
If he returns to Mizzou, that means he's returning to the comforts of Columbia. Basically, his entire large, close-knit family will still be there, MPJ notwithstanding. And Jontay will have the majority of the summer to work out with his teammates; he didn't reclassify until later in the summer of 2017, putting him behind in many regards.
If Jontay returns to the Tigers, he will be a fulcrum of the offense, a showcased player, every night. His 3-point shooting ability, his deft passing, his savvy boxing out, his everything, showcased nightly. He'd start in the low post alongside fellow sophomore Jeremiah Tilmon, making Mizzou the fiercest front line in the SEC, a line as intimidating as Mizzou's D-line often is over at Faurot. And Porter is already a proven stat-sheet stuffer, coming off the bench to quickly tally assists and rebounds and blocks. But playing starter's minutes? An optimist thinks he'll be a scorer the way even his brother might've been if healthy.
Every year, there are sad stories about players who left college too soon. The players who get caught up in a numbers game and end up at the end of the bench and the butt of a joke.
Imagine being that player while your brother is one of the best rookies in the same league.
Here's hoping for the best for Jontay, and here's hoping his decision is based around opportunity to maximize his NBA game, regardless of what league he's in next year.
