Indeed, against one of the nations tallest and most versatile front lines, Porter was essential to the Hoyas. When he wasn’t swatting a shot or stealing the ball he was the anchor inside for Georgetown’s defense. When he wasn’t moving without the ball or dropping a dime to an open teammate he was knocking down a 3-pointer late in the shot clock. For as talented of a player as he is, Porter was extremely patient.
“I mean I just let the game come to me,” Porter explained. “I trust the offense and if you stay with it you get good shots all day, so that’s what I was trying to do, just stay within the offense.”
Playing against a team that has so much height on the interior, having versatile size was key to the Hoyas’ success.
“I don’t think too many teams will see teams as big as that team,” said Thompson III. “They’re huge and Kyle [Anderson’s] ability to handle the ball and be a guard helps. Shabazz is a big guard.
Tonight, Georgetown will be tested, as Indiana has about as much wing depth as any team in the country. Though they are deep and rated No. 1 in the nation right now, but keeping up with Georgetown’s versatile wings and forwards will be a task that’s worth paying attention to.
Cody Zeller and Porter will undoubtedly matchup on the interior tonight, so there are certainly going to be draft night implications in this early season tilt. Cody didn’t have his best game yesterday, shooting just 2-4 and grabbing 4 rebounds against a large Georgia front line. If Porter and Georgetown can hold the big fella off tonight, what would that say about his prospects?
We’ll have much more on this front tomorrow, as we’ll provide in-depth scouting reports on some of the players from the Legends Classic after we take in the games this evening at the Barclays Center.
As for the team that calls Brooklyn home, the Nets (6-2) are on a five-game winning streak and despite playing mediocre competition (Orlando twice, Cleveland, Boston and Sacramento), they’ve been notching W’s leading up to the game tonight in Los Angeles.
On the other hand, the Lakers (5-5) finally seem to be picking up steam. Having averaged 116.5 points in their past two games against the middling Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets, LA will be looking to make a statement tonight in Mike D’Antoni’s sideline debut.
As they D’Antoni’s schemes more and more, the Lakers offensive potency should become evident as the season progresses.
“I think he just gets it. He knows how to get the most out of his players,” said Jeremy Lin of the Rockets regarding Mike D’Antoni. “They’ll be just fine. What you saw tonight, they’ll probably be able to do pretty consistently, in terms of moving the ball and spacing. And with Dwight Howard down low, it’s tough because he has that whole key to roam in.”
The Lakers freedom and creativity at the offensive end is sure to be one of the hottest stories around the league until their season ends, and tonight’s contest against the Nets will be the first time D’Antoni joins his new team on the bench.
It’s a light night in the NBA with only three games on the slate. So once again, be sure to check back in tomorrow for analysis of the Legends Classic.
Other news and notes from around the Association: