Craig Porter Jr. enters this season with a clear opportunity in front of him, but also a clear demand: the Cavaliers need more than flashes.
For most of his time in Cleveland, Porter Jr. has been the kind of player who pops in small doses and then slips back into the background. The defense has always traveled.
The effort has always shown up. The offense, though, has been the unfinished part of the package.
He gives the Cavs plenty of useful minutes in the margins. Porter Jr. rebounds well enough that Kenny Atkinson called him a de facto power forward last season.
He brings real disruption on defense, where his deflections and blocks can change a possession in a hurry. Those are the traits that keep a player in the rotation.
The bigger question is whether he can do enough with the ball to matter in a more important role.
Porter Jr. has shown he can create as a slasher and make plays for others, but the aggression has come and gone. He said at media day that he wants to do more scoring this year and has spent the summer working on that part of his game. Atkinson also said he was pleased with the way Porter Jr. has taken care of his body.
That matters because Cleveland still has a hole at backup point guard, and the last few seasons have featured plenty of turnover there. Ty Jerome, Lonzo Ball and Dennis Schroder have all come through without giving the team lasting stability in that spot.
Now Porter Jr. is in the mix with Tyrese Proctor and Meleek Thomas for the job. He should have a slight edge because he has been in the program longer, and he already looks like the strongest defender of the three. Proctor and Thomas, though, bring a kind of offensive fearlessness Porter Jr. has yet to show consistently.
The raw tools are there. He can get to the rim and finish through contact.
He has touch in the paint. His shooting has improved since his rookie season, even if the attempts still haven’t come in volume.
This is year four for Porter Jr., and it carries real weight. If he wants a second contract, whether with the Cavaliers or somewhere else, he has to prove the offensive growth is real.
Cleveland needs a reserve point guard it can trust. Porter Jr. has said the work is in.
Now he has to show it on the floor.
In Other News...
Former Cavs Champion Brings An Uncomfortable Update Fans Didn't Expect
JR Smith, one of the more recognizable names from the Cavaliers 2016 championship run, is back in the news for a far less celebratory reason. Hunt County jail records show the former guard was arrested in Texas on a charge of family violence assault causing bodily injury, an unwelcome update for a player many Cleveland fans still remember from the franchises biggest moment.
According to the records, Smith was pulled over after an automatic license plate reader flagged his vehicle because of an active warrant, and he was then booked at the Hunt County Detention Center. Smith, a two-time NBA champion who later enrolled at North Carolina A&T State University as a collegiate golfer, has long been in the public eye for life beyond basketball, but this latest development leaves a very different kind of question hanging over his post-playing career. [Read more 🡒]
Dean Wade Just Gave Cavs Fans A New Reason To React
Dean Wades move to Philadelphia gives Cavaliers fans a familiar face to watch from a different angle this season. After spending his first seven NBA seasons in Cleveland, Wade signed with the 76ers and now finds himself on a roster built with a clear title pursuit in mind. For a player who carved out his role with length, versatility and steadiness, the shift comes with a different kind of pressure and a different set of expectations.
In an interview, Wade said he joined the Sixers to compete for a championship, a familiar line in a new uniform but one that still matters when it comes from a player with his background. Philadelphia expects him to be more than just a depth piece, with a chance to factor as a versatile defender and a useful bench contributor. For Cavs fans, it is another reminder of how much value Wade developed in Cleveland, and why his next chapter could end up being watched closely back home. [Read more 🡒]
Mario Hezonja Sounds Like A Different Fit For These Cavaliers
Mario Hezonja is arriving in Cleveland with a far different pitch than the one that followed him around earlier in his NBA career. After finding success in Europe and acknowledging how much his approach has changed, he is talking more like a piece designed to fit around stars than a player trying to chase touches and shot volume. For a Cavaliers team built around Donovan Mitchell and with James Harden in the conversation as part of the broader backdrop, that kind of self-awareness matters.
Hezonjas past in the league came with plenty of unfinished business, but his latest comments suggest he understands the assignment now. Rather than framing himself as a primary scorer, he is signaling a willingness to do the little things and support Cleveland wherever it needs help. For a roster that already has high-end creators, the question is less about whether Hezonja can put up numbers and more about whether his maturity translates into the kind of dependable role the Cavaliers need. [Read more 🡒]