Some recruits come into the Association wide-eyed and completely unprepared to face the best players on the planet, night after night.
Then there’s Craig Porter.
At draft night last June, 58 young men heard their names called, but Porter wasn’t one of them. And from then on, he only proved his skeptics wrong.
After going undrafted, the 6-2, 185-pounder from Terra Haute, Indiana got to work. He signed a two-way deal with Cleveland in early July, played in Cleveland’s stint in the Summer League – leading Mike Gerrity’s team to the title in Vegas – and after a stellar training camp and preseason , he earned a spot on the Cavs bench on opening night. Brooklyn.
After not seeing action in the first two games of the season and spending time in the next game, Porter dropped 10 points on the Knicks, adding four rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block. In that moment, Porter let the league and Cavaliers fans know something he had already done: that he belonged in the NBA.
Since that night against the Knicks, Porter has only gotten more comfortable. By mid-November, Porter had strung together five straight games with double-digit scoring – blocking four shots to go with 16 points and five assists against Miami in his first career start. A month later, he dished out 11 assists in a game against New Orleans; two games later, he grabbed 12 rebounds in a win over Dallas.
Porter might have been overlooked in the draft because he was a four-year player who was already 23 years old. But as countless players have proven before him, being a four-year-old might have better prepared him for the challenge of the NBA at the next level.
“(Staying four years) definitely helped,” Porter said. “It just helped me understand the different goals of basketball and the different things it takes to be part of a winning team. Because like I said before, I played a role throughout my career until my senior year of college. So, I kind of found different ways to influence the game and how to get on the field. It’s always been one of those things for me to dedicate myself to fully.
Porter began his college career at Vincennes University in Indiana, helping the Trailblazers win the NJCAA national championship in 2019. From there, he transferred to Wichita State where, in his final season, he led the Shockers in roughly All – becoming the first player in program history to lead the team in rebounds, assists, blocks and steals in the same season.
At Wichita State, Porter became the second Shocker, after Fred VanVleet, to record a triple-double in the last 50 years. And for a pure point guard, his shot blocking numbers are breathtaking.
As a senior, Porter was the first player to finish in the top ten in the Conference – and the only player in the NCAA top 100 – in assists per game and blocks per game. He blocked a shot in 11 consecutive games, the longest streak ever recorded by a Wichita State guard, and his blocked shot average (1.48 bpg) was the highest nationally for any which player 6-2 or less.
One of the many things the Cavaliers brass liked about Porter was his overall maturity. The youngster behaves like an experienced veterinarian.
“I think in his journey from junior varsity to varsity, as an older player, he’s seen and experienced more,” coach JB Bickerstaff said. “And when you watch him on the ground, he just doesn’t pick up speed. You look at his facial expressions, his attitude, it never changes, for good or bad. And his approach is the same. He is just consistent on this point. So since he doesn’t ride an emotional roller coaster, his game usually doesn’t follow that roller coaster and he can stay pretty steady.
Porter put up double figures in his fourth game, and while his diverse game isn’t based on scoring, he proved he can fill it at the professional level. So far this season, he’s scored more than 10 points in a dozen games and needs just three more to pass Smush Parker for the most double-digit games by an undrafted Cavaliers rookie.
Porter was limited to cleaning up in Wednesday’s win over New Orleans, but before that he had scored exactly 13 points in three of his previous four games. In Cleveland’s Monday night loss to Phoenix, he shot 5 of 7 from the floor, adding six assists.
He also lined up against some potential Hall of Famers – Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal and Devin Booker – and talked about how unusual it is to face legends you’ve only seen in 2K.
“Yeah, I usually have to come in and surprise (the veterans) with a few baskets or do something,” Porter smiled. “And even when we played the Suns that day, KD and D. Book were just asking me how old I was and just little things like that, telling me (they’re) just happy I stepped in the door and just keep working, you’re doing great.
“I mean, it’s crazy. It still seems surreal. But I mean, I’ve wanted to get to this point my whole life, so I try not to let it impress me too much. At the end of the day, it’s my job to go against them and fight every day. So, I just try to do it while keeping a cool head. But there are times when you’re like, “I’m really here with these guys and it just doesn’t seem real.” »
In terms of reality, normally at this point in their first season, freshmen guys have either hit the fabled “rookie wall” or are struggling to recover from it. Porter admits the 82 games are exactly that – but, with just 16 games remaining – he has managed to fight his way through.
“It’s been a big challenge,” Porter said. “I mean, it’s just about recovery and making sure you’re doing the right things every day. Because one of the things I quickly realized is that there are times when you play two games in a row and then you have a day off – or maybe not even a day off – and then you go back to playing five games in a row in seven days and it’s little things like that that made me realize you really have to invest in your body. It’s just the engine in your car.
Porter – who among rookies who played at least 40 games ranks 5th in field goal percentage (.512) and 9th in assists (2.5 per game) – also benefited from the help savvy veterans, including fellow Indiana native Darius Garland – who ‘took him under their wing.
“With (Garland) being in his fifth year, he’s been like a veteran to me, even though we’re the same age,” Porter said. “I mean, he was really nice to me. He showed me the ropes and just tries to give me every little learning and teaching point he can. And I mean, having to play early made it even more different. Having (Tristan Thompson) and those guys around has been great. (Tristan) is a great guy. He’s one of those guys, you respect him for everything he does, and he works so hard. He knows the game so well.”
So now, with his freshman season coming to a close and the NBA Playoffs on the horizon, has his rookie campaign been what he expected?
“It is completely different from what I thought,” concluded Porter. “Obviously because of the position I was put in, considering the injuries and everything else. So, everything, all my expectations were met sooner than I thought. Actually, path sooner than I thought. But I just made sure I stayed ready, and that was exactly the biggest thing the coaches and everyone in the organization wanted for me: just to be prepared and stay ready. And I feel like I answered that question pretty well.
