Even though the Cleveland Cavaliers saw their four-game win streak end at home against the Miami Heat, there was still a huge bright spot through the murkiness. Craig Porter Jr., an undrafted point guard out of Wichita State, has been thrust deeply into the Cavs' rotation due to the litany of injuries Cleveland has been dealing with. Typically, Porter would hardly see the floor for Cleveland, spending most of his time developing as the Cavs' backup point guard of the future with the Cleveland Charge, the team's NBA G League affiliate.
After four solid outings in a row, it appears that the future is now and Porter will likely never spend time with head coach Mike Gerrity and fellow two-way players Emoni Bates and Isaiah Mobley in the G League. In those four appearances, Porter has averaged 15.3 points on 57.8% shooting along with 3.0 rebounds, 5.8 assists, a block and a steal in 25.8 minutes per game.
Cavs' Craig Porter Jr. making an impact backing up Darius Garland
Porter has been a godsend for Cleveland whenever he has checked in off the bench or started next to Darius Garland versus Miami. He has given the Cavs something they've been lacking ever since Ricky Rubio tore his ACL against the New Orleans Pelicans in 2021: a healthy, reliable, consistent backup point guard.
Sure the Cavs have Garland, Donovan Mitchell and Caris LeVert cover the lion's share of ball-handling opportunities. But whenever Garland sits, Cleveland lacks dynamic playmaking and the offense grinds to a halt. With Porter running the show with the bench unit, it appears the Cavs have bridged the gap for when Garland rests 12 to 15 minutes a game.
Granted, Porter will never give Cleveland the level of dynamism with a touch of theatrics Garland does on a nightly basis. So, instead, look at it this way: Garland is the offensive system to Cleveland similar to how Steve Nash functioned with the Phoenix Suns. Porter, meanwhile, is comparable to Leandro Barbosa — capable of running the offense whenever the primary motor sits and keeps the overall system humming with his playmaking while giving a heavy enough scoring punch to boot.
That comparison falls apart quickly considering Porter is a much better defender than Barbosa ever was with the Seven Seconds or Less Suns. But it's just a baseline comparison and an example of how vital Porter is to the Cavs as their season advances. There will be nights where Garland sits and, now, Cleveland doesn't have to rely on ball handling by committee and can now turn to Porter to handle the responsibilities.
Again, it's crazy to think considering where the trajectory of Porter's career was headed. But when the rookie guard shows zero fear driving into the chest of Joel Embiid, the NBA's reigning MVP, and scoring a clutch-time basket, this showcases his fearlessness and the fact he isn't fazed by his rookie status or the size of the moment. More importantly, it showcases that Porter has done more than enough to earn the trust of the Cavs and their coaching staff.
That trust will be key as things move ahead for Cleveland, but, for now, they've finally answered the riddle of finding a reliable backup behind Darius Garland. Considering Craig Porter Jr. is a few months older, it's not really a student backing up a mentor kind of situation, either. Instead, two strong, cerebral guards can help guide the Cavs to the playoffs and hopefully a championship one day.
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