During film sessions, most NBA coaches will study the opposing team’s game tape to look for ways to exploit mismatches in their upcoming game. For example, some coaches will find advantages on the offensive end by getting a slower defender to switch onto their quicker player. Once that happens, the faster player will use his skillset to try and benefit from that apparent mismatch.
On Thursday night, that was likely the game plan for Phoenix head coach Monty Williams, knowing that Houston likes to switch a lot on the defensive side of the ball. Enough screens during an offensive set would cause smaller defenders to guard center Deandre Ayton, where he could use his size and physical presence to dominate inside the paint.
Although Ayton finished the night with 16 points, he will likely remember the pesky 6-foot-6 guard who always seemed to be around when he was demanding the ball. That energetic player was Kevin Porter Jr., who has made it a priority to play better defense, and it has shown with his willingness to take on bigger players this season.
With 5:08 left in the second quarter and the Rockets up 48-46, Porter found himself in a high pick-and-roll situation, leaving him to guard Ayton. The Suns center immediately threw his hand in the air, thinking he had a mismatch against the smaller defender.
He was wrong.
Porter put him on his hip, boxed him out, and dared the Suns to try and get the ball to Ayton.
“His defensive effort has been really good this season,” Rockets head coach Stephen Silas said postgame of Porter. “He is taking the challenge and putting extra effort into it. He knows how important he is to our group and our defense. When we get into our switches, he is not afraid, and he is tough. His defense has been more than solid this season.”
Porter also spent possessions All-Star covering guards Devin Booker and Chris Paul, who combined to shoot below 40% from the field.
And let’s talk about Kevin Porter Jr.’s defense. He obviously still has a long way to go, but he’s been playing some really good defense these last few games.
There was a possession in the first half where Ayton tried to score on him in the post and it just didn’t work.
— biased rockets stan 🚀 (@BiasedHouston) November 5, 2021
Now 21 years old, Porter mentioned during training camp that he wants to become a two-way player. To do that, he has to be better on the defensive end.
In back-to-back games against the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this week, Porter seemingly made it his mission to find future Hall of Famer LeBron James on the defensive end and guard him one-on-one. Many NBA players try to avoid that matchup at all costs, but not “KPJ” did not. It was as if he welcomed the challenge.
“He has been coming out here guarding the best players, and that is a credit to him,” said Rockets forward Jae’Sean Tate, who was asked about Porter’s defense early in the season. That’s high praise considering the source, since Tate is routinely Houston’s top defensive player.
Porter, Tate, and the rest of the young Rockets (1-7) continue their road trip with Saturday’s visit to Denver (4-4). Tipoff is at 4 p.m. Central.
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