Free-agent Boston Celtics should heavily pursue No. 2) Otto Porter Jr.
Over the past several years, even during the campaigns that ended in Eastern Conference Finals apperances, it has always felt that perhaps the biggest weakness within the C’s rotation resided in their second unit, particulary in regard to their scoring punch.
Just last season, for example, the Boston Celtics constantly found themselves rolling out one of the worst offensive bench units in the entire association, placing 28th in points per game and just 23rd in offensive rating.
Because of this, aside from looking to bolster the even more depleted point guard position now that Kemba Walker is in Oklahoma City, one of Boston’s main objectives this summer should be to add on an extra scoring punch to serve as a spark-plug off the pine, and we believe that Otto Porter Jr. could prove to be the best option who could fall within their price range.
Since being selected third overall back in the 2013 NBA Draft, the wing has endured a myriad of injuries throughout his eight-year career which, unfortunately, has played a part in his current moniker of “bust.”
Still, even with his turbulent tenure in the association, Porter finds himself boasting career averages of 10.9 points, five boards, and 1.1 steals per game on 48 percent shooting from the floor and 40 percent shooting from deep which, without a doubt, would be a great addition to the C’s bench rotation.
In the past, we’ve even seen him post well north of 15 points per game on 48 percent shooting from both the field and from deep (see his stats from his first 15 games in Chicago) and, even this past season, we saw impressive averages of 11.6 points and 6.3 rebounds on 44 percent shooting from the floor and 40 percent shooting from deep prior tweaking his back in early February.
Because of his well-documented injury history, Porter may be viewed by many across the association as a bit too risky for teams to pursue. For the cash-strapped Celtics, however, risks like these will likely need to be taken in order for them to have a chance at landing a potential difference-maker on the open market.
A likely MLE candidate this summer, Otto Porter Jr. could prove to be a solid addition to the team’s cap space.