Michael Porter: I’m The Best Player In The Draft

As we’ve said before, gamesmanship, rumors and manipulation are part of the NBA draft and this year, that may be more true for Missouri’s Michael Porter than it is for anyone else.

Perhaps the top player in his class, Porter has a lot to prove after sitting out all but two minutes of his freshman year before returning for the final two games of this season where he averaged 14 points and nine rebounds in 51 minutes. That’s 53 minutes for the season which makes it hard to form a serious opinion about what he can do in competition.

He says he’s healthy now and that he’s the best player in the draft.

He’s also going to be a case study.

Some people will be okay with his health and some will not . Some will like him and yet talk him down behind the scenes, hoping he falls far enough. Others may talk him down only to take him earlier than expected. Half the fun of the draft is watching teams try to manipulate each other as sketchy reports emerge of attitude problems, or concerns of one sort or another.

Some are very valid. Some are just attempts to scare people off to get who you want.

In Porter’s case, that could be a real factor.