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

[Nphan]

I think it's over for KPJ if the Rockets let him go. No GM would touch him with a 10 foot pole. If I was the Rockets GM, I would trade Woods asap and let KPJ walk. Just look at how Koby handled it and do it that way. Build the culture like GM of the year.

 

[2 For The Brew]

Crazy how talented you can be but still lack common sense and accountability.

It’s almost as if talent and emotional maturity aren’t 100% correlated. Shocking!

One of the reasons KPJ was sent to Houston is because John Lucas is one of the best if not the best at handling troubled players. If KPJ blew up at John Lucas as reported then what NBA team or coach is going to want anything to do with him?

Really sad story. Not everyone is raised in a safe environment and it’s just tragic that so many young men are affected severely as a result. I hope one day he can cope.

 

[Larry hughes]

When Koby traded KPJ for pennies

Vs

KPJ cursing out Lucas, throwing food and leaving the Rockets arena at halftime.

 

[adam81king]

The fact that it was two players (KPJ & Wood) is a little different. I’m not absolving KPJ at all, but I wonder what Lucas said? KPJ definitely has anger & entitlement issues (bad combo) and it’s unlikely he ever lasts in one place for very long.

There were *multiple* players getting called out, *including* Wood and KPJ...the fact that Wood responded similarly to KPJ speaks more poorly on Wood than it does Lucas. Now, if the entire team boycotted Lucas, that'd be one thing, but 2 guys, when one is KPJ, isn't a Lucas issue.

 

[cavsfever]

Watch this, I bet the Rockets let Lucas go instead of disciplining Wood/KPJ. Just a feeling I have — they could let KPJ go but Wood is a core player for them. Actually KPJ kind of is too, as a starter, but Wood is actually good lol.

 

[daddywags]

Pure speculation but I have to wonder whether Porter has a negative effect on Wood. Has he been known to act out before?

 

[RonG]

Lucas has a rep of being a players coach. He has helped a lot of players. Part of the reason Houston made that trade. I have a hard time wrapping my head around the Rockets letting him go over this. It's inevitable Kevin will be out of the league, I can't imagine him accepting a buy out, because this is the only money he will probably get from the NBA. So the rockets will probably have to eat that 4th year. For the betterment of the team, they need to have the balls to just send him home, permanently. I guess we will know soon enough what the Rockets value. I'm glad we know where the Cavs stood, and to a degree I'm glad to see Koby vindicated, at the same time I was hoping Kevin would pull his head out of his ass.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

It’s almost as if talent and emotional maturity aren’t 100% correlated. Shocking!

One of the reasons KPJ was sent to Houston is because John Lucas is one of the best if not the best at handling troubled players. If KPJ blew up at John Lucas as reported then what NBA team or coach is going to want anything to do with him?

Really sad story. Not everyone is raised in a safe environment and it’s just tragic that so many young men are affected severely as a result. I hope one day he can cope.

When that trade happened, I remember some folks specifically pointing to Lucas as the right guy for the job of bringing KPJ around, as opposed to Koby supposedly lacking the people skills to do the same. So yeah, if Lucas couldn't do it either, then the problem isn't the franchise, but the player.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

Watch this, I bet the Rockets let Lucas go instead of disciplining Wood/KPJ. Just a feeling I have — they could let KPJ go but Wood is a core player for them. Actually KPJ kind of is too, as a starter, but Wood is actually good lol.

I think there's about a 0% chance of that happening. Given KPJ's reputation coming into the league, and what he's done since here, giving him the power to get a coach fired would make that job in Houston completely toxic for any other decent coach to even consider. Franchise has to back the coach on this.

For what it's worth, the Rockets gave up 77 points in the first half -- 47 points in the second quarter alone, so no wonder Lucas was pissed. And they gave up only 47 total in the second half, which seems to suggest that the rest of the roster was actually paying attention to whatever Lucas said at halftime.

 

[AllforOne]

When that trade happened, I remember some folks specifically pointing to Lucas aas the right guy for the job of bringing KPJ around, as opposed to Koby supposedly lacking the people skills to do the same. So yeah, if Lucas couldn't do it either, then the problem isn't the franchise, but the player.

BUT BUT BUT IT'S EVERYBODY ELSE'S FAULT!!! IF TEAMS CAN'T GET THROUGH TO KPJ, THAT'S ON THEM, NOT HIM!!!

Hindsight has made it crystal clear that getting rid of that guy was as pure an "addition by subtraction" situation as you'll ever find.

 

[Alec]

I was definitely on the wrong side of history in that situation (wanting to keep KPJ). But I was dreaming about a three guard rotation of KPJ, healthy Garland, and Sexton.

But I also think KPJ is looking like an inefficient chucker. So I was probably wrong about the talent too.

 

[adam81king]

When that trade happened, I remember some folks specifically pointing to Lucas aas the right guy for the job of bringing KPJ around, as opposed to Koby supposedly lacking the people skills to do the same. So yeah, if Lucas couldn't do it either, then the problem isn't the franchise, but the player.

I was one of the loudest to say John Lucas was ideal for KPJ and even suggested Koby may have saved his life by sending him to Houston...

You can only save someone willing to be saved, though. I told friends that I hope he becomes more Gerald Green than Sebastian Telfair or Delonte West, but I'm not confident. I was a HUGE fan of his, and he quickly took the title of "Favorite Cavalier" from Cedi Osman for me. He was the only athlete I followed on social media. He took a sharp right down a dark alley and hasnt stopped to turn around, or ask for help, yet. I hope he does soon.

 

[cavsfever]

KPJ is just one of the examples which has led my view of Koby to reverse 180 degrees in the last six months or so. Dude is a good GM, straight up. I was wrong. Sorry, Koby!

 

[JMoneyYourHoney]

KPJ is just one of the examples which has led my view of Koby to reverse 180 degrees in the last six months or so. Dude is a good GM, straight up. I was wrong. Sorry, Koby!

Thoughts on the Kyrie trade?

 

[Ohioplayer00]

I’m glad BOTH KPJ and Cryrie are gone!
I truly believe KPJ’s issues are mental health related (BPD). Unfortunately there’s no medication for that disorder. Therapy is the only TX for it and that means the person has to actually look at themselves and admit they have a problem.
Cryrie is just flat out NARRISTIC