A BRIGHT FUTURE
Let's examine the impact Kevin Porter Jr. can have with the Rockets
Jan 22, 2021, 4:53 pm
The Rockets traded for Kevin Porter Jr. on Thursday night. Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images
The Houston Rockets received 20-year-old Kevin Porter Jr. in a trade acquisition from the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night. Unfortunately, Kevin has been in recent trouble while playing for the Cavilers. So, it makes sense why the Rockets received Porter for a second-round draft pick. Hopefully, Porter can squash his troubles, so he can blossom for the Rockets.
In November, Porter was arrested on gun charges but eventually got released in three hours. As the season was ramping up in December, Porter's gun charges were dismissed. Even though the charges were dropped, Porter still managed to have issues with the Cavs. The Athletic's Jason Lloyd and Joe Vardon reported Porter had an outburst inside the Cavaliers' locker room. It was seen that newly acquired Taurean Prince had Porter's locker, which caused him to be upset. Porter then started to throw food across the locker room and get into a heated exchange with GM Koby Altman. After the locker room debacle, Altman decided to put the talented Porter on the trade block. Thursday night, Rockets GM Rafael Stone struck a deal to acquire Porter.
Porter is 6'4 with tremendous upside and could become one of the building blocks for the Rockets' future. Since the Harden-era has ended, the Rockets need a spark for this season because they are 4-9. I'm curious to see how head coach Stephan Silas adjusts his roster, including the starting rotation with Porter now onboard. Silas has changed his starting rotation 13 times so will it be 14 now? Who knows? Hopefully, Porter adds a spark with newly acquired Victor Oladipo.
Porter averaged 10 points per game and shot 44 percent from the field with the Cavs. He isn't a three-point shooter but is an excellent mid-range shooter. Porter shot 50 percent from mid-range, including being able to shoot 40 percent in "catch-in-shoot" situations. He is also a shifty dribbler and can shoot above 40 percent off the dribble. Porter is a young talent that can create a lot of opportunities for himself on offense, including being extremely athletic. The Rockets need more scorers and creators on offense since John Wall is still nursing a knee injury and James Harden is in Brooklyn.
Kevin Porter Jr. 24 points, 6/9 three-point shooting against the Rockets last season. https://t.co/nHIBO7sGy6— Jackson Gatlin (@Jackson Gatlin) 1611293025.0
Hopefully, assistant coach John Lucas and John Wall can counsel Porter as he starts his new career in Houston.
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The Houston Astros walked out of Phoenix with a three-game sweep of the Diamondbacks, but the biggest win of the series might not have been in the standings, it could’ve been the emergence of their latest young spark plug.
Once again, the pitching carried the load. Brandon Walter continued his breakout season with another strong showing, and right now, he looks like Houston’s third starter if the playoffs began today. Behind him, Ryan Gusto and Colton Gordon have quietly helped stabilize a rotation ravaged by injuries. All three own ERAs under 4.5, a luxury the Astros couldn’t have anticipated heading into the year. Another thing they couldn't have anticipated was Lance McCullers' ERA this season being almost seven.
Walter’s rise comes at the same time the McCullers situation grows murkier. After starting the season late, he’s on the injured list again, this time with a blister on his pitching hand. Though the issue isn’t related to his arm, the “vibes” simply haven't been there. He’s struggled in four of his last five starts, and one wonders whether a "phantom" IL stint might be in his future, especially with Cristian Javier and Spencer Arrighetti progressing in rehab assignments. The roster squeeze is coming, and McCullers might not make the cut.
Crushing dingers!
Offensively, the conversation begins and ends with Brice Matthews. The first-round pick has quickly shifted from injury fill-in to potential staple, nearly winning the series by himself with three home runs across the first two games. His athleticism has popped in the field, and while contact concerns remain, the power and energy are real. Matthews is the only prospect of his pedigree ready to contribute, so the club made a wise decision to take a shot on upside, and Matthews delivered. That's why we were so emphatic about the Astros elevating Matthews. Get him in the lineup as a DH if you have to, whatever it takes, this offense needs pop. Then lo and behold, not only does he give the offense a lift, his defense also helped seal a win against Arizona.
Veteran slugger Christian Walker might be heating up too, posting a .348 average with three home runs and an .895 OPS in July. That’s a promising development, especially in a month when the Astros have flipped their typical formula. The pitching has been average — 18th in ERA, 18th in WHIP, 21st in opponent batting average — but the offense has been elite: top-five in slugging, OPS, and runs scored.
Injury bug
Still, questions persist. Chief among them is the health of Yordan Alvarez. His recent comments about his hand injury — specifically, his uncertainty and acknowledgement that rest hasn’t helped — were troubling. If surgery isn’t an option and time off isn’t working, what is the long-term solution? At this point, fans are right to worry about whether Alvarez will ever fully return to the dominant form he once showed.
Trade deadline
With the trade deadline one week away, general manager Dana Brown has to weigh all of this. The pitching could soon be bolstered by returns from the IL. But the offense, especially with no clear return dates for Alvarez, Jeremy Peña, Jake Meyers, and Isaac Paredes, might need immediate help. Despite the sweep, Houston scored just three and four runs in the final two games of the Diamondbacks series. If they’re serious about contending for a championship, another bat may be required. They'll see much better pitching in the postseason.
If the Astros do decide to add an arm, a power right-handed reliever could make sense. With Bryan Abreu the only truly dominant righty in the bullpen, a little late-inning muscle wouldn’t hurt.
Bottom line: the Astros are winning, and they're doing it in multiple ways. But with health concerns piling up and playoff positioning tightening, there’s still plenty of work ahead. Fortunately for Houston, they may have just found another foundational piece in the most unexpected place, a rookie who’s already changing the conversation.
There's so much more to get to! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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