Houston Rockets: 3 reasons why Kevin Porter Jr can be the next James Harden

The Houston Rockets are no strangers to great scorers. Over the franchise’s recent history they have employed the likes of Steve Francis, Tracy McGrady, and most recently James Harden.

The NBA is awash in great scorers as the aftermentioned James Harden, Bradley Beal, Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard, and Steph Curry light-up scoreboards on a nightly basis. However, to be recognized as a great scorer in this league there are many characteristics a player must-have.

Offensive creativity, game maturity, and a diverse set of scoring moves that allow one to put points on the scoreboard from anywhere on the court are some of the attributes that these players share. The Houston Rockets have struggled to produce offense this season after shipping their former MVP, James Harden, to the Brooklyn Nets in a blockbuster trade that featured a return of Victor Oladipo and draft-pick compensation.

Who will replace Harden for the Rockets?

With Oladipo looking pedestrian on offense since joining the team along with his contract expiring at the end of this season, it is becoming more likely that he may not be in the team’s long-term plans. However, the team acquired Kevin Porter Jr. from the Cavs shortly after dealing Harden away.

The transaction didn’t cost them much, a protected second-round pick that likely won’t convey. After rejoining the Cavs earlier in the season, Porter never found himself on the court due to a shouting match with team officials in the Cavs locker-room.

The Houston Rockets wanted to prepare Porter for NBA action by sending him down to their G-league affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, to ensure that he could get a couple of games under his belt before he plays in the NBA again. After six games of action, Porter has averaged 22.3 points, 6.3 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game while shooting 42.6-percent from the field.

While these numbers may not sound spectacular, it is quite evident that Porter is far too talented to continue playing in the valley much longer. In the near future, the sophomore will join the Rockets and looks poised to pick up where he left off from his rookie season when he posted per 36 minutes averages of 15.4 points, 3.4 assists, and 5.0 rebounds. Given his age, 20 years old, there are plenty of reasons to be excited about his future but these are the three reasons why Porter can be the next James Harden for the Houston Rockets.

Next: No. 3

Houston Rockets: Kevin Porter’s scoring potential

After being drafted with the last pick in the first round of the 2019 NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers, Kevin Porter Jr was able to find success with a role off the bench for his team.

Porter was able to contribute immediately. In 50 games, averaging just 23 minutes of action per game, Kevin Porter Jr’s performance was impressive despite his limited time of playing.

Of rookies who logged at least 1100 minutes of game time or more, Porter was top-ten in scoring, ahead of PJ Washington who made the All-Rookie Second Team. Had Porter seen more action on the court, there would have definitely been a case to be made for him to be on an All-Rookie Team.

If we examine his shooting splits from last season, Kevin Porter Jr showed that he is more than capable of creating his own offense. 55.6-percent of his shots inside the three-point line were unassisted.

Not only could he create his own shot he was able to create high-quality shots with 29.5-percent of his shots coming at the rim, where he converted them 71.8-percent of the time. When compared to Harden’s career average of 64-percent shooting near the rim, Porter stands out.

The majority of Porter Jr’s shot attempts came from behind the arc last season but this will likely change once he suits up for the Rockets as he will have a significantly larger role with the team compared to last season playing a sixth man role for the Cavs. All one needs to do is watch him play to be optimistic about his offensive potential and his career-high 30-point performance against a great Miami Heat defense is evidence enough.

? @Kevinporterjr's career-high 30 PTS lead the @cavs to victory in OT.#BeTheFight #NBARooks pic.twitter.com/Z3UbPXjBzM

— NBA (@NBA) February 25, 2020

Porter finished the game by shooting 50-percent from the field on 18 field goal attempts along with eight rebounds. With the Houston Rockets seeking an offensive playmaker, Porter can fill this void when teams are busying trying to neutralize the Rockets’ other options such as Christian Wood, who has assumed the position of being their go-to scorer in Harden’s absence.

Next: No. 2

Houston Rockets: Kevin Porter’s versatility

In his first and only season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Porter played second fiddle to Collin Sexton, who was the team’s primary ballhandler and first option. However, this did not stop veteran teammates like Kevin Love from recognizing his talent.

On the Road Trippin podcast which is hosted by former NBA players, Richard Jefferson and Channing Frye, Kevin Love was a guest star in an episode earlier this month in which he had high praise for his teammate.

“If you look at our entire team and you take Kevin Porter Jr and you stack him up, he was by far the most talented guy we had on our roster.”

Love goes on to list several attributes that Porter possesses which are similar to what makes James Harden such a great player in this league. “He can rebound the basketball, can really pass, get his own shot, finish at the rim, body control and shoulders. He’s just so good. He has the ability to be a real star in this league,” Love explained.

"Kevin Porter, Jr. was BY FAR the most talented player on our roster"

Kevin Love on KPJ pic.twitter.com/8c00KeT0bU

— Rob Kimbell (@RobKSports) February 15, 2021

In his six games with the Vipers this season, Houston Rockets fans were eager to pay close attention to Kevin Porter Jr. despite the disappointing start for the Vipers. Porter has kept fans tuned in as they were able to finally see his game on display.

In a contest against the Austin Spurs, with time winding down in the quarter, Porter shows his offensive versatility.  He is patient and takes advantage of a smaller opponent by not settling for a three-point shot.

KEVIN PORTER JR, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL SPIN MOVE AND SCORE TO END THE FIRST QUARTER!

Vipers lead 26-24 pic.twitter.com/pko6jHYrOV

— Disney Gary Clark (@Itamar1710) February 18, 2021

Instead of stepping back for what would have been a contested shot,  Porter sells a pump fake and puts his head down for a drive towards the basket. With the help defender there on the baseline, he is able to spin and create enough space to finish a layup with his non-shooting hand.

Similar to Harden, Porter protects the ball against the defender after the spin move by keeping it low which oftentimes gets the defender to stick their hand out for a reach-in call. It’s a move Rockets fans have seen made by Harden a million times.

Another area of Porter’s game that Love spoke glowingly about was his passing and this was again on display against the Austin Spurs. Porter waited for Wooten to set a screen to get his teammate open on the three-point line and subsequently waited for a backdoor screen by another teammate on his defender to get the alley-oop dunk.

.@Kevinporterjr finds his guy @kennywootenjr pic.twitter.com/SJVMIMDFcI

— NBA G League (@nbagleague) February 18, 2021

This action is very similar to what Harden would do on offense for Clint Capela, many times leading to an easy basket. Porter’s ability to score and pass has shades of James Harden and should have Rockets fans very excited for his debut.

Next: No. 1

Houston Rockets: Kevin Porter’s comparisons to James Harden

With respect to Kevin Porter Jr, he has a long way to go before being mentioned in the same breath as James Harden. However, Rockets fans can only fantasize for the time being considering the parallels they share.

The two have a similar basketball skillset and share some striking physical similarities. Both are left-hand dominant players and Porter is 6’4 203-pound, compared to Harden who is listed at 6’5 and weighs around 220 pounds.

While Harden is slightly larger and bulkier, Porter is so young that he could one day possess the raw strength that powered Harden to multiple scoring titles. Regardless of the size differential, that never stopped basketball experts from drawing the comparison between Harden and Porter.  according to Chris Fedor, NBA reporter for Cleveland.com, the Cavaliers thought he could be the next coming of Harden.

“The Cavs knew all the reasons behind Porter’s draft night plummet. They did their homework, talked to countless people, and met with Porter personally. Despite some other teams taking Porter off the board, the Cavs were enamored with his upside, seeing a Harden-like offensive package and tantalizing two-way traits”

In a game against the Rockets last season, Porter finished the contest with 24 points and had a few words of encouragement from Harden. “Just Keep going,” Porter said Harden told him after the game.

He went on to add, “Me and him are very close. Definitely a big brother to me and one of my idols in the league.” Porter’s teammate Tristian Thompson after the game commented on Harden’s mentorship and had recognized early on that Porter was a “dark horse” in the draft.

Thompson went on to say, “I’ve been saying it since he was at USA Under-17, he’s got a lot of James in him… they’re both lefties, they’re both [nearly the same height, Harden 6-foot-5, Porter 6-4]. As long as KP keeps working on that trey ball, he’s going to be a problem in this league.”

From his matchup against the Westchester Knicks, here are a series of clips where we see him playing passing lanes, lulling the defender to sleep with his ball-handling skills and  mirroring Harden’s slick step-back jumper to create space for a 3-point jump shot.

Kevin Porter Jr. is a pure talent.

Look how easy the game looks for him in the G. So physical, athletic, lefty, handles it so well, great finisher and can create off the dribble. This guy has all the makings of a star as far as his ability goes.

? @GLeagueTV pic.twitter.com/SnIs5s9SR8

— Ball Don't Stop (@balldontstop) February 15, 2021

There’s a lot to be excited about if you’re a Houston Rockets fan during this new era of basketball for the franchise. While Porter hasn’t played a game yet for the team, it’s quite evident why there are high expectations for the Washington native.

James Harden was arguably the greatest player to wear a Houston Rockets jersey and for Porter to draw comparisons to him from his peers and NBA scouts is very telling of his potential. Optimism is quite high in the bayou city as the franchise is seeking to find a new identity and hopefully their next superstar who can help bring another championship to Houston.