CHICAGO _ Bulls coach Jim Boylen corrected himself Tuesday when he described the team's new addition, Otto Porter Jr.
"His versatility is his greatest attribute," Boylen said before pausing. "His greatest attribute is his demeanor and his spirit. His versatility is right up there."
Porter's transition to the Bulls after last week's trade from the Wizards has been smooth. The Bulls acquired Porter a day before the trade deadline in exchange for Jabari Parker, Bobby Portis and a 2023 second-round pick.
In his first three games with the Bulls, Porter scored 18 points against the Nets, 17 against the Wizards and 18 against the Bucks, making a combined 8 of 14 3-pointers.
"Just coming in open-minded and ready to learn," Porter said of his approach after being traded. "I don't want to come here and act like I know everything because I don't. Just trying to get a good sense of where we're headed."
Tuesday marked his first full practice, which included a scrimmage.
Teammates were impressed with his ability to quickly pick up the offense and play multiple positions.
"He doesn't even really know any of the plays," Zach LaVine said after Monday's loss to the Bucks. "He's been doing great. We put him in pick-and-roll, and he took over part of the game. He was facilitating, making shots. He's a lot more than just a catch-and-shoot guy. I think his role is going to be a lot bigger than what it was in Washington. He's a lot better than that."
Boylen echoed the praise, noting Porter's relative ease in adjusting to the Bulls.
"I think he is (confident)," Boylen said. "Sometimes you get a new guy and you maybe sense some fear that they're overloaded in their mind or maybe they're overwhelmed. I haven't felt that from him at all. He takes it as it comes and understands what we're doing."
Porter, a 6-foot-8 small forward in his fifth season out of Georgetown, has made his presence known with vocal leadership in meetings, games and at practice.
"During the games, just to settle the team down," he said. "A team might go on a run. I'm like, telling the team: 'Hey, teams make runs. We can't get our heads down. We have to focus on the next play.'
"It's just little things I try to influence our team keeping ourselves. Holding everybody accountable. For us, just playing for each other. We're learning. We're still young. We're still learning how to play for each other, play hard (and) cover each other's mistakes."
