The prospect of the Toronto Raptors getting forward Otto Porter Jr. back to their regular rotation sooner than later isn't looking good at the moment. When asked about Porter's progress as he works his way back from a foot injury, Raptors head coach Nick Nurse replied with a discouraging “He’s not. He’s not” response, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports.
Lewenberg also noted that it was initially hoped that Otto Porter Jr. would be back before the end of the first month of 2023, though, it's not going to be surprising to see the Raptors forward's absence get extended beyond January, given the recent update from Nurse.
Porter has only played in 8 games after hurting his hamstring in camp & then dislocating his toe nearly 2 months ago. After seeing a specialist last month, plan was to avoid surgery & ramp up over the coming weeks in the hopes of a January return. Would seem that’s in doubt now.
Porter has played in only eight games so far in his first season with the Raptors. In those appearances, Porter, who inked a two-year deal worth $12.3 million with the Raptors in July 2022, has averaged only 5.5 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.0 assist while shooting 50 percent from the field and 35.3 percent from deep.
In the meantime, the Raptors will continue giving OG Anunoby heavy minutes as the regular starting small forward. Once Porter makes his return, he's still likely to play minimal minutes as a depth guy for Toronto, which is currently No. 12 in the Eastern Conference with a 16-21 record.
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