Charlotte Hornets NBA Draft: Is Jontay Porter reliable on offense?

The Charlotte Hornets lack perimeter offense at the center position and Jontay Porter could offer a lot of help in that area.

In past seasons, the Charlotte Hornets have struggled to develop any form of consistent perimeter shooting for their center position. Because of the lack of production at this position, It’s no secret that they may target a center for their frontcourt in this year’s draft.

If the Hornets would like to take a chance on a young player who can shoot, then Jontay Porter may be a solid offensive prospect. While being more of a sixth man in his only year of college, he made a strong presence off the bench for his team.

About Jontay Porter

Height: 6’11”

Weight: 240 pounds

Wingspan: 7’0″

2017-18 stats: 9.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 43% FG, 24.5 minutes

*Did not play in the 2018-19 season

Strengths:

• Great court vision, can assist the ball well
• Can shoot perimeter shots efficiently
• Young prospect with a lot of potential
• Excels in the pick-and-pop game
• Great ball-handler

Weaknesses:

• Needs to improve his shooting percentage
• Wingspan may be a problem
• Needs to improve offensive rebounding
• Struggles finishing through contact
• May have issues against other team’s frontcourts
• Turnover prone

Porter is a  prospect who only played one year while in college. During this past season with Missouri, he suffered an ACL injury before the start of the season, keeping him out for the year.

During the 2017-18 season, he came off the bench and gave his team a lot of production with his sixth-man role. Despite not playing this past season, he is still a young prospect who will not turn twenty until November.

The younger brother of the Denver Nugget’s forward Michael Porter Jr. was actually sought out to be a lottery pick at the beginning of the season before his injury. Does he still possess the abilities to be taken in the lottery this year?

While only playing one college season, Porter did not prove too much to NBA scouts. What he did prove, is that he has the ability to score and make an impact while coming off the bench.

Porter has the ability to play both frontcourt positions, while also possessing the ability to shoot efficiently from beyond the arc. His lack of efficient field goal percentage was low during the 2017-18 season, so this may be an issue.

It would seem that Porter is ready to come back and make his mark in the NBA. He has the size and offensive skill set to be an asset for any NBA team. Porter also has the ability to become a great shot blocker, as he averaged 1.7 blocks per game in the 2017-18 season.

After his only college season, Porter only had three double-doubles, and a career-high of twenty-four points in a game. This may not seem too impressive, but Porter had high expectations entering the 2018-19 season before his injury.

Porter was also the recipient of two college honors following his freshman year with Missouri. Following the 2017-18 season, Porter was named to the SEC All-Freshman team, and also won the SEC Sixth Man of the Year award.

If Porter can come back from injury and be ready to play his rookie year, I think he will be an asset for any NBA team. If the Hornets decide to go for a perimeter shooting big, then they may end up picking Porter.