“He’s another guy that used this summer to take everything he can do to another level,” Donovan Mitchell said of Porter.
Much of Porter’s offseason focus was on conditioning so that he could become a high-energy reserve guard who could make a noticeable impact defensively.
“He’s doing a better job getting into the ball on the pick-and-roll,” Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson said when asked about Porter’s defensive improvements. “He’s more physical. He’s got good hands, too, so he’s active in the passing lanes.”
His development as a better overall defender has allowed the parts of the game that he’s always been good at to show through more clearly.
“He does every little thing that you need,” Mitchell said about Porter. “Picks up full court, can initiate the offense, can get downhill to create. When we’re in together, he makes my life a hell of a lot easier. So it’s definitely great to have him having this impact.”
Opposing coaches are seeing Porter’s impact as well.
“He killed us a couple years ago,” Adelman said. “So there’s some bad memories there.”
Porter was surprisingly helpful during the beginning of his rookie season, but he couldn’t keep that success going once the opponent’s scouting report adjusted. A shaky outside jumper held him back. That has improved significantly in the last two years.
Porter’s improved outside shot, combined with his development on the defensive end, has turned him being a serviceable third point guard into someone who emerged as the team’s backup point guard over the last two games.
“He’s been really good this year,” Adelman said. “When he got thrown in that game (as a rookie), and the way he played, coming away from it saying, ‘Man, that kid can really play.’ Now to see his career get going, I think it’s a cool thing. It’s one of the coolest parts about the NBA.”