Washington Wizards head coach Scott Brooks is not quite ready to return forward Otto Porter Jr. to his rightful place in the starting lineup, according to Candace Buckner of The Washington Post.
Otto Porter will come off the bench again because he’s in a good rhythm, per Scott Brooks.
Though Porter will eventually return to the starters, Brooks wants to see him in at least one more game playing unrestricted minutes as a reserve
— Candace Buckner (@CandaceDBuckner) January 8, 2019
Brooks is hoping another game under unrestricted minutes coming off the bench would keep Porter in a good rhythm, following a 20-point performance in 24 minutes during an unlikely win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday.
Porter added six rebounds, five assists and three blocks to his 20 points (on 7-17 shooting from field, 4-6 shooting from three-point range), bouncing back his last game, when he went 0-for-5 from three-point range in a 14-point performance.
Brooks has started veteran Trevor Ariza at small forward as Porter recovered from a 10-game absence due to injury, hoping to slowly incorporate his max-level player back into the rotation.
So far, Porter has played 14, 21 and 24 minutes, respectively, in his three games since coming back from a right knee injury. Brooks is hoping to play him around 30 minutes before determining if he's ready to return to the starting lineup and get his usual share of heavy minutes.
Porter's three-week absence and the news of All-Star point guard John Wall choosing to undergo surgery and likely miss the remainder of the season have put the Wizards' (16-24) playoff chances in peril.
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