Upon being drafted number 3 overall by the Washington Wizards in the 2013 NBA draft, hopes were high that Otto Porter Jr. would be the last piece of a three-headed monster in Washington alongside John Wall and Bradley Beal. The dream of contending for Eastern Conference supremacy never panned out in the nation's capital, with the team never getting past the second round of the playoffs. While Porter was always a steady, if unspectacular, presence on the team, it would be fair to argue that at least a part of the Wizards' underachievement is a result of Porter failing to reach All-Star status. However, Porter will have much more success with the Chicago Bulls than he ever did with the Wizards.
Throughout his career, Porter has been at best a third offensive option, and was only given extended looks on offense when Wall or Beal were out with injury. Porter will not have any such restrictions in Chicago, where he's already asserted himself as the top option on the team. Averaging 22.5 points per game so far with the Bulls (through only 4 games, admittedly), his point production is far outpacing his career average of 10.9 PPG. With elite efficiency and above-average rebounding for his position, he has all the counting stats necessary for a legitimate All-Star case next year, especially in the weaker Eastern Conference.
Who could Porter replace in the All-Star game next year? For one, Dwayne Wade is retiring after the season, which frees up one spot. If Porter can keep up his statistical output, there's reason to believe he could also overtake players like Khris Middleton, an aging Kyle Lowry, an injured Victor Oladipo and his replacement D'Angelo Russell. While the future of the Bulls is still murky, at least one player will be receiving accolades next season.
