Kevin Porter Jr., a former member of the LA Clippers, just helped the 11th-seeded Milwaukee Bucks triumph over the Cleveland Cavaliers with 20 points, eight rebounds, five assists, five steals, and a game-winner. This feels unreal, as he blew his opportunity with the Clippers so badly last season that if you had told a fan his production would later be make-or-break for the Bucks, they would have immediately laughed as loudly as possible.
That reaction would have been fair at the time, considering Porter Jr. averaged 9.3 points and 1.9 turnovers in 19.6 minutes for the Clippers over 45 games, shooting 42.3% from the field and 24.5% from a distance.
Thus, Porter Jr. has found a home for himself, getting his feet comfortable with the Bucks, and, of course, it stings, as the way he is playing now was never seen in a Clippers uniform.
The Clippers could surely use the current version of Kevin Porter Jr.
Not just against the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he handled the pressure like a pro and led the Milwaukee Bucks to a victory, but all season, Kevin Porter Jr. has been integral for head coach Doc Rivers and the backcourt.
However, now more than ever, they need Porter Jr. to thrive, as Giannis Antetokounmpo went down due to injury. How has he responded? Well, the numbers can do all of the talking.
Antetokounmpo last played Jan. 23, and since then, Porter Jr. has averaged 21.9 points, 7.9 assists, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.7 steals, shooting 53.5% from the field. On top of that, his contributions are not empty stats, as the Bucks have gone 7-2(with him available).
Moreover, there would be no doubt that if Porter Jr. were playing like this for Tyronn Lue, particularly without Darius Garland, the La Clippers would be a lot higher than the tenth seed.
His help would have made that much of a difference and solved a number of problems, as the Clippers have lacked offensive production for what feels like ages, especially after James Harden and Ivica Zubac were traded.
That said, Porter Jr. has made an impossible turnaround in his career, and while Antetokounmpo is out, he is basically the Bucks’ first option. This fact does not seem believable, yet it is the truth; he is Rivers’ go-to guy to score, facilitate, run the half-court, and lean on to win games with hopes of obtaining the tenth seed.