As Jontay Porter weighed whether or not to remain in the NBA Draft or return to Missouri for his sophomore season, the prevailing thought was that, if Porter believed he would be drafted in the first round, he would sign with an agent. If not, he’d likely return to the Tigers’ roster.
Wednesday, speaking with the media for the first time since announcing his decision to return, Porter expressed confidence that he would have been a first-round selection. In the end, he said, that had little bearing on his choice.
“I can confidently say — I know the draft isn’t until the 21st or whatever — but I’m pretty confident I would have been a first-round pick,” Porter said. "Whether I was top 10 or top 30, it didn’t matter. I was pretty set on coming back.”
Instead of worrying about his draft position, Porter said his choice hinged on whether he would be ready to make an impact once he got to the NBA. He ultimately concluded that returning to Missouri for another year of instruction under Cuonzo Martin would serve him better than sitting on the end of an NBA bench or playing in the G League.
“When I do make the NBA, I want to be a factor right away,” Porter said. “Not that I’m going to be an all-star or anything like that, and the G League isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I realized I do have development before I’m ready to make the impact I envision on an NBA team.”
Porter also said that, although he waited until just hours before the deadline to announce his return to school, he actually made the decision weeks prior.
“I just woke up one day and I was like, ‘I’m going back,’” Porter said. “I don’t remember what day that was. I know it was before the Combine.”
While Porter may not yet be ready to make an impact on an NBA roster, his return instantly buoyed the outlook on this season for the Tigers. A season ago, Porter averaged 9.9 points and 6.8 rebounds en route to being named the SEC co-Sixth Man of the Year. Martin believes his unique skillset will make Missouri’s entire offense better. As Martin pointed out, he’s a difficult matchup for opposing teams. Big men struggle to guard Porter on the perimeter, but if a smaller defender switches onto him, Porter should be able to bully that defender in the low post. Plus, his passing and three-point shooting abilities should help Missouri hide its likely weakness: guard play.
“You can say, well, if we’re thin at the guard position, well, he creates that for you, because he can play on the perimeter,” Martin said of Porter. “Just like Kassius (Robertson) and (Jordan) Barnett (last season), teams would attach to those guys. Other guys got opportunities because they could shoot it, and I think that’s what he brings to the table.”
Porter also contributes in ways that don’t necessarily show up on the stat sheet. Senior Kevin Puryear called Porter “a joy to play with” and “one of the best teammates I’ve ever had.” Martin praised Porter for the number of different ways he can impact a game.
“His value is not just how many points go in the basket,” Martin said. “It’s the rebounds, the steals, the blocks, … the loose balls, the assists. That’s what makes him good, and any time you got a guy at 6 (foot)-11 that can do those things, it brings value to not only you, but your program.”
Martin expects Porter to be better than a season ago, too. After reclassifying and skipping his senior year in high school, Porter is still just 18 years old. Between April 5, when he declared for the draft, and May 30, when he announced his decision to return to school, he worked out in Chicago, where he said he got a taste of the professional lifestyle — all basketball, all the time. His biggest improvement came in an area where he was already strong: his jump shot.
“I’m comfortable from half court,” Porter joked of his range. “Just shooting from NBA range every day has helped a lot. Now a college three feels like mid-range. That doesn’t mean I’m going to be Steph Curry this year, or anything like that, but I’m much more comfortable.”
Puryear attested to the improvement in Porter’s shot. Puryear and Porter shot around recently, and Puryear said Porter “barely missed.” Puryear also believes Porter is more agile after the summer of training.
“You can tell, he moves more fluid,” Puryear said. “Almost like he’s faster.”
Porter did have a few off-court reasons to remain at Missouri. His father, Missouri assistant coach Michael Porter Sr., told PowerMizzou.com on a recent podcast that his son’s preparedness to handle the NBA lifestyle at age 17 would be a factor in his decision. Plus, the majority of Porter’s close-knit family lives in Columbia. Porter admitted Wednesday that played a small role in his decision. Ultimately, though, he viewed another year at Missouri as the best way to improve his game.
“I know, whether it be this year, next year or after my four-year career at Mizzou, I’m just preventing the inevitable,” Porter said. “Sooner or later, my family is going to be spreading apart, spreading our own wings. So I realized that and didn’t put too much weight in that. It was mostly a basketball decision.”
