Chicago Bulls: Otto Porter Jr.’s ceiling for the 2019-20 season

Otto Porter Jr. is set to play his first full season for the Chicago Bulls in 2019-20. What’s his ceiling for the upcoming season?

Ever since trading away Jimmy Butler, the Chicago Bulls have been at a disadvantage on the wing. But when they agreed to a trade centered around Otto Porter Jr. on February 6, 2019, they finally filled that hole in their lineup.

Porter only played 15 games for the Bulls last season, but he was absolutely unconscious during that stretch. He averaged 17.5 points per game on absurd .483/.488/.906 shooting splits. He also posted 5.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.

When Porter was on the Wizards, he never quite reached his ceiling. He was always good but never great. Most of his inability to play at the level he was capable of playing at can be chalked up to sharing the court with John Wall and Bradley Beal – two ball-dominant dudes. Now that he’s essentially the veteran leader for Chicago, that doesn’t seem to be an issue. His new role on his new team completely changes his ceiling. Yes, Lauri Markkanen and Zach LaVine should get priority over Porter on offense, but neither one of those guys requires the same amount of on-ball action as Beal or Wall.

Now, Porter’s ceiling with the Bulls hinges on two things:

1. his ability to create shots for others, and
2. his ability to get to the free-throw line.

Otto’s career-high 2.7 assists per game in the 15 games he played for the Bulls were a good indication of what he’s capable of doing as a shot-creator. He has a reputation of being a guy that just sits on the perimeter and waits for 3-point looks, but that’s not accurate. He’s a super talented passer – he just needs to be more confident in the abilities that he possesses.

There’s no reason Otto can’t average 3.5 assists per game. He’s a lethal shooter, so defenders will be rotating to him aggressively. If he has creation in his mind, he’ll be able to find open scorers moving off the ball.

Another thing Otto needs to do when he attacks closeouts is get to the rim and draw fouls. In his 15 games with the Bulls last season, Otto shot a career-high 2.1 free-throw attempts per game. Yes, you read that correctly – his 2.1 free-throw attempts per game for the Bulls were a career-high. That’s an astonishingly low number.

I mean, Jayson Tatum gets ridiculed for not getting to the free-throw line enough and he shot 2.9 per game last season. If Otto wants to take his game to the next level, he simply needs to get to the free-throw line more. He should be shooting a minimum of 4-5 free throws per game.

If Porter can put together a 50/40/90 season (a very reasonable goal at this point in his career), increase his assist numbers and get to the free-throw line more, he could be looking at an All-Star-level season. Talent has never been the question, it’s just about putting it all together at the right time.

The good news is Otto’s floor is extremely high. I can’t imagine a scenario where he isn’t at least helpful to the team. He’s getting paid to be a star player, though, so that needs to be his goal. Before joining the Bulls, Porter’s ceiling was simply at the level of an elite role player. Now, his ceiling has risen to an All-Star level.