When the LA Clippers sent Kevin Porter Jr. to the Milwaukee Bucks, most fans had a straight face. It has become a standard in the league for role players to be dealt after months of underperformance. On top of excruciating efficiencies, the bigger issue was that Porter Jr. did not fit the Clippers’ qualifications as the secondary point guard.
Furthermore, head coach Tyronn Lue avoided giving Porter Jr. a DNP, but the front office mapped out the acceptance of any offer inside the trade portal. Hence, all they received for the veteran guard was a young and unproven wing in MarJon Beauchamp.
As he possessed insufficient experience in the back of the depth chart, the Clippers waived Beauchamp. This gave him the green light to find a better a system that would develop his athleticism.
Moreover, Porter Jr. did not speak much about the Clippers and the package he was involved in; instead, he became a quick bucket for Doc Rivers and the Bucks. In fact, he stamped over ten points per game in 30 games and shot his best splits as an NBA player.
The Clippers evidently saw Porter Jr.’s success but stayed content in replacing him for Bogdan Bogdanović. They had a gut feeling the trade outlook would be altered in the postseason.
In just one loss for the Bucks against the Indiana Pacers, the Clippers' point was justified.
Kevin Porter Jr.’s game-one performance for the Bucks shows why the Clippers went separate directions
There is always the likelihood that Kevin Porter Jr. does better in game two, but from what was seen in his playoff debut, executive Lawrence Frank is currently being regarded as a genius.
Porter Jr. played 29 minutes off Doc Rivers’ bench, was a +/- of -6 against the Indiana Pacers, and did not do much other than record five rebounds and assists. He scored 12 points, but eight came at the charity strike, and shot 2-7 from the field.
From an advanced view, Porter Jr. had a 105.2 offensive rating, 113.6 defensive rating, and a -8.4 net rating.
To be fair, Porter Jr.’s advanced data was in the middle of the pack as the Milwaukee Bucks lost by 19, but as the guard who was left in the game to kick a comeback, he completely failed.
The LA Clippers may have lost in game one to the Denver Nuggets, but the two-point margin they were defeated by would have been more had Porter Jr.’s debut been with LA.