There's still no shortage of basketball to play this season, but the Milwaukee Bucks' move to acquire Kevin Porter Jr. might go down as the most underrated deal of the NBA Trade Deadline.
Since coming aboard after being exchanged for MarJon Beauchamp, the guard has been a shot in the arm off the bench, averaging 9.8 points per game. Milwaukee has needed his shot creation and scoring ability after dealing Khris Middleton, and he's delivered in a big way. Among the prominent reasons for Porter's success in Milwaukee has been his recent uptick in 3-point production.
Kevin Porter Jr. has been shooting the lights out for the Bucks
In 14 games with the Milwaukee Bucks, Porter has shot 45.8 percent from downtown. Looking closer, that number becomes even more intriguing in March, where he's shot 52.9 percent from downtown in seven matchups. In a short time, Porter has turned what was arguably his biggest weakness in LA to one of his significant strengths with the Milwaukee Bucks.
One game that showed off the impact Porter can have when that 3-point shot is falling was the Bucks' recent win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Porter scored 22 points off the bench, sinking a season-high five 3-pointers. Per NBA.com/stats, four of those makes came when Porter was "wide open," showing how he's benefitting from playing with Milwaukee's other stars and other teams daring him to shoot.
Perimeter shooting has never been Porter's bread and butter. He was all over the place during his first four seasons, with the highest number being 37.5 percent and the lowest 31.1 percent. In 45 games with the LA Clippers this year, he was shooting a career-low 24.5 percent from downtown. The Bucks didn't trade for Porter because of his shooting, but he's been beyond impressive in that regard.
Now, it must be made clear that Porter hasn't been relying on the three-ball too much. He's shooting 11-of-24 from long distance as a Buck and 9-of-17 throughout this impressive stretch in March. However, considering this is a complementary component of his game - he's relied far more on the mid-range with the Milwaukee Bucks - it's impressive that he's seen this big of an uptick.
If Porter can keep shooting it like this from distance, his importance (and production) will only keep increasing in Milwaukee. Even if he's only taking one or two per game, hitting a respectable number will be the key to keeping opposing defenses on their toes.
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