The Toronto Raptors are never considered a free agent destination, which made their ability to lure Otto Porter Jr. away from the Golden State Warriors that much more impressive. He seemed like a perfect fit for a team who needed veteran leadership and some shooting.
While Porter had the most impactful season of his career in Golden State, the reason he signed a fairly economical deal that Toronto can get out of fairly easily is the Georgetown alum’s past issues with staying healthy. Porter has played more than 56 games in a season just once since 2018.
Unfortunately, the durability concerns that have followed the former No. 3 overall pick throughout his career made the trip up north. Porter hasn’t played in over a month due to a dislocated toe, and the latest update from Nick Nurse makes it sound like fans won’t see him for quite some time.
Nurse said that Porter is not making any progress on his toe injury, implying that he is nowhere close to a return. All of the hype that fans may have had surrounding this signing has been quickly and expertly dashed by his inability to stay healthy.
Is Otto Porter Jr. making any progress?
— Michael Grange (@michaelgrange) January 3, 2023
Nurse: “He is not.”
Porter Jr. has been out since Nov. 15th with a dislocated second toe in his right foot.
Otto Porter Jr. injury update: Toronto Raptors SF remains out.
Porter has played in just eight games this season, and he hasn’t exactly brought the house down when he’s been on the floor. Porter is averaging just 5.5 points per game, and his 35% success rate from 3-point range is his lowest in over a half-decade. It’s safe to say that this move has been a disappointment so far.
If he comes back this season, Porter might actually be a better fit for the Raptors than most of the bench players who have tried and failed to supplement the performances of stars like Pascal Siakam. He’s had some moments for the Raptors, but they’ve been very infrequent.
Porter is going to turn 30 next season and remains a major question mark due to his health issues. If he doesn’t get back on track relatively soon, the Raptors will find it very difficult to give him a featured role in the team’s 2023 rotation. At a certain point, the injuries will be too numerous.
https://twitter.com/AaronBenRose/status/1610336475173847048
Porter has had some truly rotten luck in the pros, as he has fallen prey to a serious injury every time that it looks like he is finally going to break out. Porter is nowhere closer to finding that stretch of consistency he has been looking for his entire career, and his Raptors career is in legitimate jeopardy as a result.