How the demeanor of Craig Porter Jr. has led to NBA Summer League breakthrough with Cavs
Craig Porter Jr. is experiencing a breakthrough, not that an outsider would be able to tell.
The former Wichita State point guard is one of the stars of NBA Summer League, fresh off his best game with the Cleveland Cavaliers in which he scored a team-high 22 points with his typical stat-stuffing line of eight rebounds, six assists, three steals and a block.
After scoring seven of his team’s final nine points in an 87-83 win over the Chicago Bulls on Thursday at Thomas & Mack Center to push the Cavs to a 4-0 start in Las Vegas, Porter was declared the star of the game by the Cavs’ social media account and interviewed by ESPN. Through it all, Porter has remained even-keeled and largely unaffected by the new spotlight.
Some might wonder how Porter’s budding fame is not overwhelming for someone who grew up in poverty in Terre Haute, Indiana, unsure of where his next meal would come from at times. But Porter says it is his life experiences that have prepared him for this moment.
“There’s a lot of guys I know (from Terre Haute) who could have been in a similar position, but one wrong turn or one wrong break led them down the wrong path,” Porter told The Eagle in Las Vegas. “I’ve seen and experienced almost everything, so just getting to this point means everything to me. I think going through everything I’ve been through just makes it even better.”
When Porter finished his Wichita State career in March, he was prepared to move to some foreign country he had only ever heard about to make a living as a professional basketball player. The 6-foot-2 point guard had stuffed the stat sheet in his senior season with the Shockers, but the team failed to reach the postseason and Porter seemed to have little NBA buzz.
It wasn’t until NBA scouts saw Porter with their own eyes, at scouting events like the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament and the NTX Combine, that his unique skill set grabbed their attention. Although he went undrafted, Porter was quickly scooped up by the Cavs and signed to a two-way contract that greatly increased his chances of playing in the NBA as a rookie.
Even with all signs pointing toward Porter becoming the next undrafted guard from Wichita State to crack the NBA, nothing about the 23-year-old’s demeanor has changed during his potentially life-changing run in Vegas.
“I’ve noticed that Craig has this ability to have all of this stuff go on around him and still have this demeanor where he just shows up and does what he has to do every single day,” said Ryan Straining, his agent. “Ever since I started working with him, his demeanor hasn’t really ever changed. He’s been a professional day in and day out. Motivation can come and go, at this level where everyone is so skilled. It’s really about who’s going to stay in the gym the most, and Craig is as dedicated as I’ve ever seen.”
Since shaking off the nerves from his Summer League debut, a game where he still posted eight points, seven rebounds and three assists, Porter has been superb in his last three games with averages of 13.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists while shooting 60.6% from the field.
He’s checked all of the boxes that the organization was hoping to see from him in Vegas, according to Cavs Summer League coach Mike Gerrity.
“The biggest thing that stands out about him is the way he impacts the game in so many ways,” Gerrity told The Eagle. “He can distribute, he can score for himself, he rebounds, he blocks shots, he does a little bit of everything. He’s the quarterback on the floor for us and we want him to run the show and find that balance between being aggressive and getting his teammates involved. And then on defense, we want to see him making things happen, get in passing lanes, get deflections, get those blocked shots and just do the things that he does.”
Porter’s ability to finish acrobatic shots in the paint has boosted his scoring in Vegas, but he’s not likely going to be tasked with scoring, at least immediately, at the NBA level.
The plays that Gerrity, who is also Cleveland’s G League coach, notices the most are when Porter skies above a group of big men for a rebound, when he sparks a fast break with a look-ahead pass for an easy score or when his instincts take over and he blocks a shot from behind.
“It definitely felt like I was right back at home in Wichita,” Porter said when asked about those three specific plays. “I think it’s me just being more comfortable out there and having the freedom to do those things. I’m just trying to stick to the way that I’ve been playing basketball my whole life, just making the right play and doing whatever it takes for me to fit my role and make my team better.”
Those same qualities that made him a fan favorite at Wichita State are what Gerrity thinks could take Porter all the way to the NBA someday soon.
They also contributed to the Cavs advancing to the Summer League semifinals on Saturday with the potential to play for the NBA 2K24 Summer League championship on Monday.
“If you’re a real basketball person, you can see the things that he does that impact winning,” Gerrity said. “You can tell guys like playing with him because he’s unselfish. He’s got some great tools and our job is to continue to help him develop and get better and show him what an NBA point guard looks like and give him the tools to get there. There’s no doubt the potential is there and the future is really bright for Craig and we’re really excited about him as an organization.”
Porter’s even-keeled nature has allowed him to remain poised in such critical moments to determine the trajectory of the start of his career.
He admits the quicker pace of the pro game took some getting used to, as well as the elevated level of competition, but Porter has demonstrated the same resilience in Vegas that he has throughout his life to earn his opportunity there. He plans on doing the same thing as his career progresses.
“I think it all goes back to my support system and my family, which is the best you could ask for,” Porter said. “They text me before every game, every practice. They know I’ve worked really hard every day and sacrificed a lot being away from them. But this is where I want to be and I’m going to keep going.”
This story was originally published July 14, 2023 at 10:42 AM.
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