Passing is the Key For Kevin Porter Jr.

Kevin Porter Jr.'s improvements as a passer

Kevin Porter Jr. proved that he is a gifted passer last season and has only expanded on that this year. He has put up some great assist games this season, putting up five games with 10 assists. Those are the most significant glimpses into the future of what he could do as a playmaker for others.

Porter's passing ambition is a double-edged sword. It's good that he is willing to try to make the big play pass but it can result in turnovers. Those turnovers will hopefully decrease in time, but on a young team where winning isn't the priority, he has been allowed to explore. When Porter does get the timing down, he shows off how great of a passer he could be when he has more experience.

The biggest thing for Porter is to just read through an offense and make the right decisions. A lot of this will just come with time. It is still early for Porter to make every correct read in every set every time down the court. However, he has shown a lot of promise in doing so. Porter has a great connection with Christian Wood in the pick and roll while also finding cutters in the half-court. He is always looking to press the action-forcing mistakes and looking for the highlight play in transition.

The good thing is that he has only gotten better as the season has progressed. Against the Utah Jazz, he put up 12 assists to five turnovers, but the key to this game was his second-half, where he had nine of his assists to just two turnovers. Since the new year, he has put up better passing performances. He has averaged 6.4 assists but cut the turnovers to 2.8 per game. 

Even with Dennis Schröder on the roster, Porter has still been given opportunities to create. Schröder can be a willing playmaker, which can help Porter grow under his tutelage, but it makes you think how much more Porter could learn from John Wall to speed up his growth.