On paper, beating the stacked Philadelphia 76ers squad is an insurmountable task – made all the more difficult if the opposing side of Wednesday night's contest is Otto Porter Jr. and the Chicago Bulls.
Even without their go-to big man Joel Embiid, the Sixers are still brimming with stars – namely their new acquisitions' Tobias Harris and former Bulls' swingman Jimmy Butler on top of their already existing nucleus of Ben Simmons and J.J. Redick. The Bulls at 18-47 have virtually nothing to play for at this point other than lottery positioning which some of their fans ostentatiously celebrate.
But with their unlikely win against the fourth-seeded Sixers, courtesy of Zach LaVine's crunch time heroics, Porter Jr. felt like it was a statement win that's indicative of where the former dynasty franchise is headed in the coming seasons.
Otto Porter Jr.: “I feel like this sent a message to the league that we’re getting ready for the future.”
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) March 7, 2019
The 6-foot-8 do-it-all forward was acquired via a trade deadline deal with the Washington Wizards in exchange for Bobby Portis and disgruntled free agent signing Jabari Parker in what is considered a steal despite his albatross contract. Since arriving in Chi-town, he's been averaging career highs in scoring, assists, and three-point field goal percentage, with 18.3 points, 2.8 assists, and a scorching 49 percent in nine games.
With Finnish stretch four Lauri Markkanen continuing to show strides in his sophomore season, the continued emergence of Lavine, the return of the promising Wendell Carter Jr. from injury, and the likely addition of a first-round lottery talent in the upcoming draft, Porter Jr. may not be that far with his proclamation.
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