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Getty Stephen Curry #30 and Otto Porter Jr. #32 of the Golden State Warriors celebrate against the Boston Celtics during the second quarter of Game 6 of the 2022 NBA Finals at TD Garden on June 16, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
It’s hard to be underestimated when you’re an NBA champion, but several members of the Golden State Warriors have faced this situation over the years.
Doubters have questioned Steph Curry’s play outside of his shooting and Draymond Green’s offensive prowess for years. Klay Thompson has recently been touched by his ability to recover from back-to-back injuries.
But an NBA analyst recently suggested that one of the Dubs’ newest additions (and most recent departures, for that matter) could win the “most underrated” award of the past decade. This player is Otto Porter Jr.
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Otto Porter has proven he’s the NBA’s top role player when healthy
GettyFormer Golden State Warriors forward Otto Porter, Jr. looks on during a game against the Phoenix Suns.
Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey on Monday, August 29, dropped his list of the 10 most underrated NBA players of the past decade, which included Danny Green, Joe Ingles and Paul Millsap.
Serving as the anchor of the roster was Porter in 10th place, whom Bailey described as the league’s preeminent Type 3 and D player.
Injuries limited Porter to just 42 games in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 campaigns, but he showed he still had the defensive versatility and three-point range that made him a key member of the rotation. during his 2022 title run with the Golden State Warriors. This combination secures him a place here.
Since entering the league in 2013-14, Porter has averaged 10.6 points, 1.3 threes and 1.1 steals in just 26.0 minutes per game. His career three-point percentage of 39.8 is just outside the top 50 all-time.
While those numbers might not blow your mind, they represent exactly the kind of gap-filling play that teams with high-volume guards like John Wall, Bradley Beal, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson need.
No matter who he played for, Porter almost always moved the needle in the right direction. His teams are plus-2.2 points per 100 possessions when he’s on the floor versus minus-1.9 when he’s out.
Otto Porter displayed value as a member of the Warriors title team
GettyOtto Porter Jr. (right) and Gary Payton II (left) assist Steph Curry during an NBA Finals game between the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics.
Porter only had one season at Golden State, but it was enough to prove his worth on the biggest stage and make him pay.
In his only regular season with the Warriors, Porter appeared in 63 games and started 15 of them, logging more than 22 minutes of playing time per night. He posted averages of 8.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals, per Basketball Reference.
After helping the Dubs win their fourth NBA title in eight seasons, Porter signed a two-year deal worth more than $12 million to join the Toronto Raptors — another quality organization with a strong roster. to which Porter is likely to make a significant contribution.
Another addition that contributed to Golden State’s championship success in 2021-22 was guard Gary Payton II. While his NBA career had been full of setbacks and interruptions until this season, Payton provided perimeter defense in crucial moments for the Warriors and was steady on offense.
Payton also left Golden State after just one season with the team, joining the Portland Trail Blazers on a three-year deal worth over $26 million.
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