Michael Porter Jr., SF, Missouri
2017-2018 statistics: 10.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 0.3 APG
At first glance, you might wonder what Michael Porter Jr. is doing on this list, given those numbers.
Well, in case you didn’t know, Porter missed all but three games of his freshman campaign at Missouri, thanks to a back injury that required surgery before the season even began.
That has very little to do with Porter’s potential, though. He’s been compared to guys like Kevin Durant and Joe Johnson, and it isn’t hard to see why. With his sprawling 6’10” and lethal shooting ability, Porter could very well be the next in line of lanky shooters.
The only real downside, then, is the injury concerns. It’s hard to bounce back from such a procedure, and while Porter will almost definitely be the player he’s been promised to be in the pros, you can’t blame teams for worrying.
Porter would especially be a big boom-or-bust candidate for the Clippers, given their history with injuries. Keep him healthy though, and you might have a future superstar on your hands.