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2019 Draft, Pick #30 - Kevin Porter Jr., USC

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Wham with the Right Hand said:
Five days after the incident and no apology, either, not even to his teammates as far as we know. Apparently Porter knows he's through here and now he's just waiting to see whether he gets traded or released.

Throwing food? Screaming at the GM and head coach? Yeah, I don't think there's another side of the story other than, "I felt disrespected so I had an emotional meltdown and verbally abused the top people in the organization."
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And he may still believe his actions were justified.
 
Ozone said:
idk I hope they get something for him but it does not look good. I dont have much confidence anyone thinks KPJ is worth going after because the media has him portrayed as a girl punching gun toting drug using punk
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Again, his agent is absolutely free to get out there and sing the praises of his client. He could even contact other teams privately to give his version of events. Cavs would probably give permission.

So if that isn't happening, that rather strongly suggests that even KPJ's version of events is pretty bad. Either that, or teams have done some investigation of their own, and don't want him.
 
Ozone said:
He is fine, I don't know where these ideas that he's a pita at all come from. Him and Sexton seemed close at times. Nobody complained when he dropped 30 on Miami last season. He has his ideas about right and wrong that don't align with most average people I guess. Not something I would think he should be faulted for or expected to change. He was a 5 star recruit and the highest ranked player to go to USC in a long time for a reason. I think when he feels like his employers are doing similar disrespectful things that make changes without his knowledge as the constant police harassment he dealt with as a youth in basically the Compton of Washington State with their "hands all over" approach like his possessions are theirs or something. Even if they are just following protocols for locker exchanges since the locker in fact is theirs not his and moved his jersey or whatever due to seniority or something else, nobody should be that shocked he over reacted like he did. I am not anyway. I expect had no one else been in the locker room when he saw it was moved most think the reaction would not have been the same as if it was about public humiliation or something but imo it would have been no different because they moved him period. Koby or whoever's job it was could have avoided all that by informing him ahead of time. But maybe Koby aint that insightful ?
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Seems to me that KPJ isn't the only professional athlete to come from a jacked up situation. Not sure the Compton analogy holds water.

I didn't exactly have the proverbial silver spoon growing up, but I remember sometimes how I would come home with a B grade, thinking i did something great,, and my moms would ask "did anyone get an A?" And I'd be like "Yeah". And she'd say "so how come you couldn't?"

And I never had an answer. My point with this dumbass story is that just because you have a reason to underperform - whether with actions or attitude or whatever - doesn't mean you can limbo underneath expectations. And if you do, you shortchange yourself.

KPJ had expectations for his behavior and demeanor. He knew what they were. And he failed to meet them, for whatever reason. So he gone.
 
I think some of the dissenters like @Ozone are simply not aware of everything that's been going on with KPJ over the last months...

KPJ has consistently failed to meet expectations set by the team. This isn't a one-time incident, it's really the opposite of that, as bringing him back into the team culture was a last ditch effort because he wasn't meeting expectations otherwise.

It really sucks because I have empathy for the kid, and obviously he's really friggin talented. He's probably more likely to be out of the league in the next few years, and from the sounds of it, that wouldn't even be a worst-case scenario.
 
IWantAKouki said:
He's probably more likely to be out of the league in the next few years, and from the sounds of it, that wouldn't even be a worst-case scenario.
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Yeah, and if out of the league and somehow in prison, he won't like the structure and authority there either.
 
Henry Tuttle said:
Just a dumb observation, but thought it was worth noting...KPJ removed all references to the Cavs on his twitter and changed his profile pic (used to be him in a Cavs jersey)

View attachment 4925
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Not a dumb observation at all.

Fucking hell..I guess the dream is dead?

What I hope, is that both sides are going to reconcile and Porter will work on himself this season, by himself or with the help of others and come back next season with a different outlook on life and what it requires to be a professional basketball player.

Selfishly, I do not want to lose such a talent like Porter, and deep down I want to believe it can still be salvageable. Also, I know how fragile one can be with a mental illness. Still, no matter how you look at it, one has to differentiate between his personal life and his professional life. You can't act like that in a work place..no matter what issue you got, and if you do you have to face the repercussions, I'm afraid.

I just wish Koby approached this last bit differently. I'm not sure it was totally innocent. I think it was a test that he didn't really mind Porter failing..he just didn't expect that kind of outlash. Seems that ex-players really take it to heart if you move their lockers for some reason...that's what I gathered by watching some Inside the NBA.
 
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Cavatt said:
I thought about it and the thing that rubs me the wrong way is that they are trying to teach the kid responsibility and respect and how he is part of the team, and then there is this symbolic action of moving his locker that shows he isn't valued, isn't respected, and they don't bother telling him.
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But it was his reaction that was the problem (coming on the heels of everything else). If I have a history of discipline issues and my employer arbitrarily moves my office to the basement, I can be pissed off and make a calm case for why it was the wrong thing to do...or I can scream at my boss and throw food. The latter option definitely gets me fired if I'm already on a discipline program.

Besides, moving his locker apparently had to do with COVID protocols, i.e., respect for the safety of the team.
 
Cavatt said:
I read that you can have a concealed carry in a school zone, but apparently you are right you can't carry in any school building.
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You're not as far off as you might think, at least re: colleges and universities. Kasich and the GOP passed a law that made it legal to conceal carry on Ohio campuses so long as each institution's board of trustees said it was okay. Thankfully no college or uni in Ohio that I know of took the opportunity, and they've all banned it. You can keep a gun locked in your car in a college/uni parking lot though.

Different story in Texas, though.

/quasi-political digression
 
Why would one have a "locker" if they have not played, nor are they near playing, in actual games?

The information we have is 1). he had done some practice, but separate from the team, and 2). he practiced (maybe) with the team, Thursday, prior to finally joining the team on the bench for the first time.

The above all took place in Independence at the Cleveland Clinics Courts I'd assume. That's no where near Quicken/Rocket Mortgage Field House.

So, the lockers at Quicken/Rocket Mortgage could have just as easily been reassigned long before Prince arrived, and KPJ was there that Friday evening. Maybe that was Maker's or Exum's locker prior to the trade even? So, are we to assume that the expectation of the Cavs for their players is to call each and every player at the beginning of each season to inform them that Lockers have been shuffled around and moved? Or after a trade? Just seems crazy to me that an expectation of someone as high up as Koby Altman would be required to call up someone to let them know their locker was moved because they cant meet team expectations to even be able to attend games at the home arena...

It's super disappointing this is how things have gone down. KPJ looked capable of being a very interesting, high ceiling prospect. Not having another lottery ticket hurts in all ways from on the floor to trades, etc.. But, I think being disappointed in the Cavs, considering the development of many of the other players, is a reach.
 
IWantAKouki said:
I think some of the dissenters like @Ozone are simply not aware of everything that's been going on with KPJ over the last months...

KPJ has consistently failed to meet expectations set by the team. This isn't a one-time incident, it's really the opposite of that, as bringing him back into the team culture was a last ditch effort because he wasn't meeting expectations otherwise.

It really sucks because I have empathy for the kid, and obviously he's really friggin talented. He's probably more likely to be out of the league in the next few years, and from the sounds of it, that wouldn't even be a worst-case scenario.
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Mmmmmmmmm unless you’ve been privy to information the rest of us haven’t been that’s what everybody has been asking. What was it he wasn’t doing to get back on the floor! Nobody in the FO every said “We asked Mr Porter to do A, B and C and as of yet he has yet to comply”
 
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