Chicago Bulls: Projecting early 2019-20 season starting five
Small Forward. 25-Years-Old. Otto Porter Jr.. 3. player. 24.
The best surprise for the Chicago Bulls down the stretch this past season came with the acquisition of Porter Jr. Sending out Portis and Parker was well worth the return of Porter Jr. for the Bulls, despite his large $26 million base salary on his contract. Porter Jr. is also an easily movable piece thanks to his valuable skill set on the wing.
There’s no doubt that Porter Jr. should be the unchallenged starter at the three in the Windy City next season. He shot better than 48 percent from beyond the arc in his short time in a Bulls uniform during the 2018-19 campaign. Porter Jr. is also the ideal three-and-D small forward that the Bulls need to space the floor.
Porter Jr. was the perfect connection between LaVine at shooting guard and the power forward spot in the starting five for Boylen in February and March. All he needs to do now is stay healthy long enough to make an impact for at least 70 games next season. He’s mostly stayed healthy during his NBA career, though, that was pretty much all with the Wizards.
If Porter Jr. can average around 15.0 points per game and five rebounds next season while shooting at least 45 percent from the field and 40 percent from beyond the arc, he’ll be a great fit for the Bulls. His skill set will also give this starting five enough to make a playoff push in the East if everyone stays healthy.