Coming off of a deflating loss to the Bucks, the Washington Wizards now face an extended road trip in their seemingly never-ending quest for inclusion in the top tier of the Eastern Conference. For the Wizards to rebound from their recent struggles and work their way into that conversation, multiple players, especially Otto Porter, will need to become more consistent contributors. Porter started the season on fire, showing lethal shooting and continued improvement in his all-around game. Recently, however, his effectiveness has waned, and he has begun to disappear, particularly in the 4th quarter. This poor play has contributed to the Wizards' struggles. His improvement will be key moving forward.
Porter's Recent Shooting Slump
Since New Year’s Eve, the team has played well enough to manage a solid 5-3 record, but Porter has displayed a sharp decline in scoring. Despite averaging nearly 35 minutes (a season-high) during this period, he has averaged only 8.9 points on 37.7% shooting (20.8% from 3). This is a significant decline from the 18.7 points on 55.7% shooting (51.7% from 3) he averaged to start the season. While a lot can be attributed to cold shooting, as the 3rd scorer on the team, Porter's lack of production is troubling because it puts the Wizards into difficult situations. It's not only the lack of points but also his lack of aggression and general activity that raises concerns. This is demonstrated in his drop in usage, going from 18.4% in December to 14.3% in January. Looking closer at his 4th quarter play over this 7-game stretch, Porter has taken only 18 shots, hit only 4, and missed all 3 of his 3-point shots. His lack of production is a burden for the Wizards and a weakness opposing teams can exploit.
(Porter nabs the steal, spots up, and bricks the open 3-pointer.)
Passive Porter
Porter has never been known for his aggressiveness. His game has always been about efficiency, all-around play, intangibles, and picking his spots well. You almost never see Porter call for the ball to demand a shot or drive hard into the lane through traffic. Following the loss to Milwaukee on MLK day, coach Scott Brooks addressed this concern:
"We would like to see Otto get more [shots], but Otto needs to help himself get more. The bottom-line is that Otto needs to get himself open and be ready to catch and shoot and get more shots."
Wall doubled down on this sentiment:
"We just have to do a better job at getting Otto the ball, but he’s also gotta do a better job himself at just being aggressive when he gets it."
The stat that really sticks out is that Porter has only 5 free throw attempts across these last 7 games. We can’t expect miracle turnarounds, but so little time at the line shows just how much Porter has lacked aggression and a willingness to get to the basket. That has always been one of Wall’s specialties, and Beal has shown incredible strides this season, too. But with the lack of production from the frontcourt, they could really use another player willing to attack the basket to help with the scoring load. Porter needs to figure out how to assert himself more in the offense and offer a more dynamic offensive game.
Oubre's Arrival
As we have seen Porter’s cold streak and lack of aggression, we have also witnessed the growth and consistency of Kelly Oubre’s game this season. He has developed into a true scorer off of the bench, averaging 12 points on 56% shooting (44% from 3), and has played good defense to match. Unlike Porter, Oubre has shined in his 4th quarter play, particularly in crunch time. During the 4th quarter or overtime, with less than five minutes remaining, and neither team ahead by more than five points, Oubre has gone 11 for 16 from the field, 6 of 9 from 3, and 3 of 4 from the line for an effective field goal percentage of 87.5%. With clutch stats like these, Oubre deserves more opportunities to close out games. However, this is unlikely to happen, because Oubre is too valuable as a go-to scorer off of the bench and Porter has earned enough trust to warrant a long leash. So that should squash any questions of who should start.
Wiz have to Stick with Porter and He Needs to Upgrade his Game
Although his lack of aggression and scoring has been tough to stomach, Porter has still found ways to help the Wizards. He has averaged over 2 steals and 5 rebounds per game in January. He has also contributed positive advanced stats with a +20.2 in plus/minus. Though he relies heavily on his 3-pointers falling, he still has the ability to fill it up. When his shot comes back, I expect that production to rebound. Until that happens, the Wizards do need Porter to further develop his game. He needs to be less of a bystander and force more of the action. He may never develop the handles Beal or Wall have, allowing them to get to the basket, but he should work on this skill to help keep defenses honest. Doing so will allow him to contribute even when his jumper is cold, and it will help take some of the load off of the backcourt. With time to rebound from his shooting slump and a focus on getting to the basket more, Porter can help the Wizards cement their position among the elite teams in the East.
Coming off of a deflating loss to the Bucks, the Washington Wizards now face an extended road trip in their seemingly never-ending quest for inclusion in the top tier of the Eastern Conference. For the Wizards to rebound from their recent struggles and work their way into that conversation, multiple players, especially Otto Porter, will need to become more consistent contributors. Porter started the season on fire, showing lethal shooting and continued improvement in his all-around game. Recently, however, his effectiveness has waned, and he has begun to disappear, particularly in the 4th quarter. This poor play has contributed to the Wizards' struggles. His improvement will be key moving forward.
Porter's Recent Shooting Slump
Since New Year’s Eve, the team has played well enough to manage a solid 5-3 record, but Porter has displayed a sharp decline in scoring. Despite averaging nearly 35 minutes (a season-high) during this period, he has averaged only 8.9 points on 37.7% shooting (20.8% from 3). This is a significant decline from the 18.7 points on 55.7% shooting (51.7% from 3) he averaged to start the season. While a lot can be attributed to cold shooting, as the 3rd scorer on the team, Porter's lack of production is troubling because it puts the Wizards into difficult situations. It's not only the lack of points but also his lack of aggression and general activity that raises concerns. This is demonstrated in his drop in usage, going from 18.4% in December to 14.3% in January. Looking closer at his 4th quarter play over this 7-game stretch, Porter has taken only 18 shots, hit only 4, and missed all 3 of his 3-point shots. His lack of production is a burden for the Wizards and a weakness opposing teams can exploit.
(Porter nabs the steal, spots up, and bricks the open 3-pointer.)
Passive Porter
Porter has never been known for his aggressiveness. His game has always been about efficiency, all-around play, intangibles, and picking his spots well. You almost never see Porter call for the ball to demand a shot or drive hard into the lane through traffic. Following the loss to Milwaukee on MLK day, coach Scott Brooks addressed this concern:
"We would like to see Otto get more [shots], but Otto needs to help himself get more. The bottom-line is that Otto needs to get himself open and be ready to catch and shoot and get more shots."
Wall doubled down on this sentiment:
"We just have to do a better job at getting Otto the ball, but he’s also gotta do a better job himself at just being aggressive when he gets it."
The stat that really sticks out is that Porter has only 5 free throw attempts across these last 7 games. We can’t expect miracle turnarounds, but so little time at the line shows just how much Porter has lacked aggression and a willingness to get to the basket. That has always been one of Wall’s specialties, and Beal has shown incredible strides this season, too. But with the lack of production from the frontcourt, they could really use another player willing to attack the basket to help with the scoring load. Porter needs to figure out how to assert himself more in the offense and offer a more dynamic offensive game.
Oubre's Arrival
As we have seen Porter’s cold streak and lack of aggression, we have also witnessed the growth and consistency of Kelly Oubre’s game this season. He has developed into a true scorer off of the bench, averaging 12 points on 56% shooting (44% from 3), and has played good defense to match. Unlike Porter, Oubre has shined in his 4th quarter play, particularly in crunch time. During the 4th quarter or overtime, with less than five minutes remaining, and neither team ahead by more than five points, Oubre has gone 11 for 16 from the field, 6 of 9 from 3, and 3 of 4 from the line for an effective field goal percentage of 87.5%. With clutch stats like these, Oubre deserves more opportunities to close out games. However, this is unlikely to happen, because Oubre is too valuable as a go-to scorer off of the bench and Porter has earned enough trust to warrant a long leash. So that should squash any questions of who should start.
Wiz have to Stick with Porter and He Needs to Upgrade his Game
Although his lack of aggression and scoring has been tough to stomach, Porter has still found ways to help the Wizards. He has averaged over 2 steals and 5 rebounds per game in January. He has also contributed positive advanced stats with a +20.2 in plus/minus. Though he relies heavily on his 3-pointers falling, he still has the ability to fill it up. When his shot comes back, I expect that production to rebound. Until that happens, the Wizards do need Porter to further develop his game. He needs to be less of a bystander and force more of the action. He may never develop the handles Beal or Wall have, allowing them to get to the basket, but he should work on this skill to help keep defenses honest. Doing so will allow him to contribute even when his jumper is cold, and it will help take some of the load off of the backcourt. With time to rebound from his shooting slump and a focus on getting to the basket more, Porter can help the Wizards cement their position among the elite teams in the East.