I wanted to open this next doppelgänger article with some hope. For that, I figured I’d look back at comps for Otto Porter’s rookie year.
Porter dealt with a hip injury that kept him on the sidelines, and he was downright terrible when he played — 19.0% from three-point range, 41.4% on twos, more turnovers than assists. In every way, his performance communicated that he was overwhelmed and out of his depth.
With Porter, it didn’t stay that way. In his second season, he improved across the board backing up Paul Pierce. When Pierce departed, he became an excellent shooter, solid rebounder, and solidly above average defender.