BOSTON – Missouri’s Michael Porter Jr. will undergo back surgery that’s expected to keep him out for the rest of this season, giving him a college career that will likely consist of two points in two minutes of action.
Projected as a potential No. 1 overall pick in next June’s NBA draft, his injury sent shock waves throughout the college basketball landscape as well as among NBA executives, who now must weigh the injury in their evaluation regardless of how well he recovers or even he aces the physical tests he’ll surely undergo leading up to the draft.
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You can count the Celtics among those to pay close attention to what’s happening with Porter Jr., a player that may be available to them in June courtesy of the first-round pick from the Los Angeles Lakers (via Philadelphia) that Boston received as part of the Markelle Fultz-Jayson Tatum trade.
As talented as Porter Jr. is, he won’t be the only high draft pick counted on to make an impact at the next level.
In this week’s Starting Five, we’ll take a look at the top five college freshman (most of whom are expected to turn pro and be in the draft in June) as well as MVP candidates; the top backcourts; the top rookies and my top five teams on the rise.
TOP 5 COLLEGE FRESHMEN
1. Marvin Bagley III, Duke: Has a double-double in four of Duke’s six games this season, averaging 19.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game.
2. DeAndre Ayton, Arizona: Has impressive numbers, but back-to-back losses by the Wildcats? Not a good look for this future lottery pick.
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3. Michael Porter Jr., Missouri: Depending on how his recovery/workouts/physicals go, no shocker if he winds up as the No. 1 pick when all is said and done.
4. Collin Sexton, Alabama: Big-time scorer, Sexton is a tough, tough cover in the half court or in transition.
5. Mohamed Bamba, Texas: 7-footer with a 7-9 wingspan, think Rudy Gobert with better athleticism.
TOP 5 NBA BACKCOURTS 1. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, Golden State: 2. Chris Paul and James Harden, Houston: 3. John Wall and Bradley Beal, Washington: 4. Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, Toronto: 5. Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, Portland: TOP 5 MVP CANDIDATES 1. James Harden, Houston:2. Kyrie Irving, Boston: The best player on the team with the best record who has been at his best in the clutch – that’s Kyrie Irving this season.
3. LeBron James, Cleveland: The Cavs are starting to roll up the wins and it is once again due to LeBron James doing LeBron James things.
4. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee: The MVP front-runner the first couple of weeks of the season, the Greek Freak is still a load for teams to deal with.
5. Kristaps Porzingis, New York: Among the NBA’s top-5 in scoring and blocked shots, Porzingis’ biggest achievement has been leading a far more competitive Knicks team than what we’ve seen the past couple of years.
TOP 5 ROOKIES
1. Ben Simmons, Philadelphia: A triple-double in the making, his statistics combined with Philly winning make him a no-brainer if he can stay healthy.
2. Jayson Tatum, Boston: His numbers are solid, but he moves to the forefront of those being considered because of his two-way play and his team’s success.
3. Donovan Mitchell, Utah: His 14.3 points leads all rookies who average less than 30 minutes played per game.
4. Kyle Kuzma, Los Angeles Lakers: Only Simmons is averaging more points among rookies than Kuzma (16.8 points per game).
5. Lauri Markkanen, Chicago: The Bulls are bad, but Markkanen’s inside-outside is impressive regardless of how his team has fared this season.
TOP 5 TEAMS ON THE RISE
1. Cleveland: With Boston’s loss, the Cavs have the longest current winning streak which stands at six wins in a row.
2. New Orleans: Currently with the seventh-best record in the West, the Pelicans have won seven of their last 10 games.
3. Indiana: Only Cleveland has been hotter than the Pacers, winners of four in a row.
4. Philadelphia: Joel Embiid has the Sixers three games above-.500, trending towards entering league MVP conversation.
5. San Antonio: After 4-4 start, Spurs are 7-3 since and very much in the thick of things out West.