Craig Porter Just Made a Compelling Case to Change the Rotation

One of the biggest question marks heading into the 2026-27 campaign was that of the backup point guard role. Who would man that post? Which player on the roster made the most sense? Who would Head Coach Kenny Aktinson tap to lead the 2nd unit out of the gate? These were all inquiries that fans, including myself, had in the months leading up to opening night.

And with no clear-cut favorite at the moment, electing to place the ball in Craig Porter Jr’s hands seemed like the sensible decision. And to be honest, it always seemed likely to head in that direction as Porter has the most experience among the group of candidates and the team did elect to keep him this off-season.

That said, it took just one short stint (7 minutes, 30 seconds) of playtime to see that some of the issues that have plagued the 4th-year guard, are still very present.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Wichita State product is still quite hesitant to shoot when he’s afforded the space with which to do so. There may not be a single sequence more indicative of that than Porter’s turnover at the 7:08 mark in the 4th Quarter.

Yes, it’s just one possession and yes, it’s ultimately not the reason the team lost the game in embarrassing fashion but it’s something worth noting considering the rotation’s clear lack of creation in the 2nd unit as well as the positional battle currently ensuing where he lines up.

And to be fair, it wasn’t a large sample size as he saw the floor for a little under 8 minutes, as the team’s 9th man but his lack of aggressiveness offensively is a contributing factor to that. I can appreciate Aktinson’s willingness to give him a window of opportunity, but Porter isn’t going to seize it by being passive.

Which leads me to the belief that Meleek Thomas is probably going to have to play for the team to make up for its lack of on-ball creation and dynamism within its 2nd unit. Thomas isn’t the type of player to cede open looks, and he certainly wouldn’t have hesitated with so much open space the way that Porter did on that possession.

Here’s the thing, a roster featuring the likes of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden is extremely likely to find ways to always have one or the other on the floor. That’s just the reality of having that much talent in one backcourt.

Which in turn, does make it rather difficult for players like Porter Jr, or Thomas, or even Tyrese Proctor (who was the 10th man last night) to see the court for long stretches but if they aren’t seizing the opportunity when it knocks, it just gives Atkinson another reason to continue leaning on his stars.

Something must change. Someone on that Cavaliers bench, especially at guard, must step up. Porter’s first opportunity left a bit to be desired. If he can’t be more aggressive, he’ll be benched in favor of someone who will be.  

He would end the night with 0 Points, 3 Rebounds, 1 Steal, and that lone turnover. The Cavs need more from Porter moving forward.