USC Basketball: 2019 NBA Draft profile of Kevin Porter Jr.

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 09: USC Trojans mascot Tommy Trojan stands on the court during the team's semifinal game of the Pac-12 basketball tournament against the Oregon Ducks at T-Mobile Arena on March 9, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Trojans won 74-54. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 14: Head coach Andy Enfield of the USC Trojans gestures during a quarterfinal game of the Pac-12 basketball tournament against the Washington Huskies at T-Mobile Arena on March 14, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Huskies defeated the Trojans 78-75. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

Can he fine-tune his game?

The biggest knock on Porter Jr. as he heads into the NBA is the off-the-court issues that caused him to get suspended by USC, albeit for a short time. There are fewer restrictions on players in the NBA compared to college athletes so, theoretically, it is easier for off-court issues to manifest themselves for young players and that is something teams are going to have to take a close look at when scouting Porter Jr., as of now his maturity and focus seems to be a big question mark.

On the court, for as flashy as he can be, there are a lot of times where he doesn’t make the easiest or smartest basketball play for himself or his teammates. His shot selection can also be a bit of a question mark, sometimes opting for the highlight real play instead of the easy one. Defensively he doesn’t always give a maximum effort and can often get lost.

Shooting wise, the area Porter Jr. needs to work on the most is at the free throw line, where he shot just 52% last season. There are things about his game that excite people but, there are just as many things that have people questioning what kind of pro he will be.

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