3. Michael Porter Jr., SF/PF, Missouri
Unfortunate news regarding Michael Porter Jr.’s injury have recently emerged: his Missouri career lasted just two minutes. That’s it, that’s all we got to see of Porter in college. The news of Porter undergoing spinal disc surgery is heartbreaking as he seemed extremely excited to help lift an average program into championship contenders. Also, Porter had the opportunity to play alongside his brother, Jontay Porter potentially one last time before the NBA. Now, it’s over.
The next time we’ll be Porter suiting up for a game will be when he’s been drafted, and playing in Summer League. It’s a very long wait, admittedly, but Porter must ensure he’s 100 percent healthy upon his return. It’s best to rehab as best as possible because the last thing we want is another top prospect to suffer with frequent injuries. Since his last high school game, Porter has already suffered an ankle injury, hip injury and now a spinal injury.
Where Porter gets drafted is now a complete mystery. Which team will be willing to draft a player who hasn’t played a full game of basketball since the high school basketball playoffs? It’s a big risk, one that we could see a General Manager get fired over.
Since the Bulls and Hawks aren’t in any rush to win, they may be willing to take Porter if he falls past pick two. Hopefully, Porter gets the right treatment and makes a full recovery.