Craig Porter Jr. didn’t need a huge preseason night to make his case, but he gave the Cavaliers enough in one stretch to make the conversation a little louder.
On a roster still sorting out roles, Porter flashed exactly why he keeps hanging around the discussion. In 16 minutes, he finished with five points, three rebounds and 10 assists, and the number that jumps off the page is the one that usually matters most for him: the playmaking. If he winds up as the backup point guard, it’s going to be because he keeps proving he can organize an offense and put teammates in the right spots.
That fit was on display against a mix of lineups. Kenny Atkinson had Porter handling the point alongside Tyrese Proctor, Meleek Thomas, Mario Hezonja and Thomas Bryant for an extended run, and Porter also logged time with several other combinations. Atkinson’s view of him has clearly sharpened, too.
He said it took a while to figure Porter out as a player, but now he sees him as a “plug and play” guy who can slide into just about any lineup.
Porter, for his part, laid out his own goals during his day four training camp media session. “I feel like I just want to set the tone and let everybody know I can be the leader of the second unit and impact winning basketball, whether it be scoring or doing a lot of the little things I do...making my presence felt and being more of a vocal leader”
That lines up with the version of Porter the Cavs have seen for a while now. The 6-foot-2 guard was a senior at Wichita State when he led the program in all five major categories - points, assists, rebounds, steals and blocks - and he brought that same burst and versatility into his rookie year. Injuries pushed him into the starting lineup as an undrafted rookie, and he showed he could handle it.
Now he’s entering his fourth year, and the profile hasn’t really changed: he can score when needed, he can run the offense, and he can fill a lot of different gaps. With Meleek Thomas in the fold, mentor could become another job description attached to him, too.
There’s also the bigger picture hanging over all of it. Porter has been left out of the playoff rotation three straight seasons and hasn’t logged meaningful postseason minutes. That’s its own kind of fuel for a player who clearly believes he can help winning basketball right now.
The question is no longer whether Porter belongs in the conversation. It’s whether the Cavs are ready to give him the chance he wants.
In Other News...
Donovan Mitchell Keeps Showing Cavs Fans What Leadership Looks Like
Cleveland sports loyalty has a way of spilling beyond one locker room, and Donovan Mitchell was right in the middle of it when members of the Cavaliers showed up for the Guardians ALDS Game 5. The appearance was a reminder that the citys teams have built a real cross-sport camaraderie, with Cavaliers players making time to back the home baseball club in a big October moment.
The scene also carried the kind of subtle symbolism Cleveland fans notice. Support from both sides was on display before the game through jersey-wearing exchanges between players, a gesture that underscored the respect between the organizations and the tone Mitchell keeps helping set around the Cavs. With the Cavaliers and Guardians both moving into important stretches, those public signs of unity only add to the sense that Clevelands teams are feeding off one another. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Face A Real Rotation Crunch Kenny Atkinson Can't Ignore
The Cavaliers are already running into one of the trickiest problems a contender can face: how to keep established veterans and rising young players engaged when every minute matters. With Donovan Mitchell and James Harden setting the tone for a team built to win now, Cleveland also has to find room for prospects like Jaylon Tyson, Meleek Thomas, Craig Porter Jr. and Khalifa Diop, all while trying to keep the bigger picture intact for the season ahead.
Kenny Atkinson is the one left managing the balance, and it is not a simple handoff between present and future. The Cavs want championship-level production from their core, but they also need meaningful developmental reps for younger talent that could matter down the line, which means the rotation is already shaping up as a daily puzzle rather than a settled chart. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Have An Early Rotation Problem Worth Watching Tonight
The Cavaliers are already getting an early look at one of the more interesting questions of camp as they head into their second preseason game, coming off a loss in the opener. Kenny Atkinson is using these games to sort out rotations and take a longer look at the young players competing for backup point guard minutes, while also trying to build on the defensive activity and playmaking that showed up in the first outing.
There is still some unfinished business in the backcourt and on the glass, where rebounding remains an area the staff wants to clean up. Atkinson is also expected to give the starters a little more run than they got in the first preseason game, so this one should offer a better read on both the hierarchy and the pace of the coach's decisions as camp moves forward. [Read more 🡒]