The Houston Rockets entered last season with a clear emphasis on development and allowing prized young prospects to take their lumps and learn from mistakes. That was especially the case with third-year guard Kevin Porter Jr., who transitioned into a full-time starting role at point guard for the first time in his young NBA career.
In general, the results were a mixed bag. Porter improved his 3-point shooting, going from 31.1% in 2020-21 to 37.5% in 2021-22. He showed flashes of brilliance, headlined by a seven-game stretch to finish the year in which Porter averaged 28.7 points (48% FG, 40.3% on 3-pointers), 7.4 assists and 7.3 rebounds per game.
But Porter also had his share of lowlights in 2021-22: games with excessive turnovers and poor decisions, shooting slumps, and the infamous New Year’s Day incident where he stormed out of Toyota Center during the game (earning a team suspension).
According to head coach Stephen Silas, who spoke to radio play-by-play broadcaster Matt Thomas in Wednesday’s SportsTalk 790 interview, that type of learning curve was largely to be expected.
“At the beginning, it was about allowing him to make mistakes and learning from those mistakes,” Silas said of Porter’s recently completed season. “It hurt us, at times. But he grew, as a result. You don’t want him thinking about … not being aggressive. I want him to be aggressive, put pressure on the defense, and use all the gifts that he has. Then, learn from those, and be able to take care of the ball more.”
“There were times he would drive into crowds, and lose the ball and make turnovers like that,” Silas said. “Which are the worst, because they lead to fast breaks on the other end. He got better at that, and really understanding that it’s the space that he needs, as well as his teammates knowing they need to be spaced well, so that he can make the plays that he can make. It’s him, but it’s also the group.”
Coach Silas on the @SportsMT show on @SportsTalk790 talking about KPJ and his growth and development.. to paraphrase it’s not about the 50 point games is can he make his teammates better. https://t.co/n3WnR1UpLL pic.twitter.com/OifIWMDRJi
— Apathetic (@ftank58) August 11, 2022
Silas expressed approval in what he’s seen from Porter during 2022 offseason workouts, adding that the Rockets expect to have him back in Houston very soon. Among those comments:
He’s been through a lot in a short period of time. He went through all the Cleveland stuff, and then he came here. He was in the G League bubble; we changed his position. We’ve had our ups and downs, but towards the end of last year, it seemed like things solidified a little bit.
He’s been really good this summer. He’s been in Houston most of the time. He’s been in New York, working out up there. He’ll be back hopefully later this week, or next week.
What I want to see from him is more consistent play. Him mastering the point guard position a little bit more, and taking advantage of his gifts. He’s got great athleticism, quickness, and change of direction, on both ends of the floor. It’s not just the offensive end. He’s a good defender, has good closeout technique. He can keep his man in front of him. He can make plays for us, so that we can get going. But the decision-making needs to be better than it was last year, and it will be.
Helping his teammates play well is a big part of it. It’s not just him getting 50 [points], it’s him helping Alpi [Sengun] play well, helping Jalen [Green] play well, and helping the [rest of] young guys play well. He’s on board.
It’s worth noting that Porter is eligible for a contract extension this offseason, though most reports suggest the Rockets will be fairly cautious, financially, with any longer-term proposals.
As it stands today, Porter is expected to be part of Houston’s starting lineup for the 2022-23 season alongside Green, Alperen Sengun, top rookie Jabari Smith Jr., and either Jae’Sean Tate or Eric Gordon.
Semantics aside of learning theories @DrewJLarson was exactly right about Coach Silas’ approach to development.. 😭😂 pic.twitter.com/9BqkLbXuHO
— Apathetic (@ftank58) August 11, 2022
