Kevin Porter Jr. loses temper, leaves Toyota Center during 2nd half

I thought some more about this and here's the way I'm looking at it - Wood quit on his team. The team wanted him to play in the second half, he was eligible to play in the second half, but he refused. Originally I thought KPJ also quit on his team. So I viewed his incident as an emotional outburst, and also quitting. After reading the Feigen story, he did not quit on his team, he just had an emotional outburst. Technically two emotional outbursts, I guess, since you have to count the incident in the locker room plus the decision to go home. But still, with all this considered, he didn't quit on anyone. They didn't tell him he could leave, so leaving is still a bad look and a really shitty thing to do, but he didn't refuse to play like Wood. Hypothetically, if they told him they needed him in the second half, he would have played.

So that's kind of how I'm categorizing it, I guess. After I first heard the story I thought it was an immature emotional outburst followed by quitting on his team. But now that we got the Feigen story, it turns out he didn't quit on his team, it's just the emotional outburst. Still bad...really bad...but in my opinion, not as bad as refusing to play.

I'm not really trying to convince you here because I totally get your position, just trying to give a better explanation of the way I'm looking at it. I still don't know if I think we should keep him or if I think this is forgivable. I think its a tougher position because he has no trade value, so it's not like we are weighing keeping him vs some sort of hypothetical return. Nobody wants him. At least Wood has value, so that decision is "keeping Wood" vs "getting something" for him. We can't get anything for KPJ so for that reason I think it's a tougher decision, because our options are "keep him" vs "cut him".

 

Agree that Cavs did quickly cut their losses. Also agree Rockets paid a low price to get him. That said with this year, Rockets is paying from an investment standpoint. The new price we're paying is playing time. Starting point guard is arguably one of the most important position on the court and affects other young guys on the team. If Rockets org take a realistic look, come to their senses and realize KPJ is not long term PG. They need to quickly shift gear and start giving minutes to the next guy(s), right now that's Josh.

Even though we're in a rebuild, the games are precious in that there's so many players to evaluate to see who 'has' it.

By end of this season, there will be more draftees, big man is a priority. But knowing the Rocekts org, they'll probably get a guard as well. Then the org will have to compare that person to Christopher and Nix.

If KPJ is not long term PG and we have enough data points, then team should quickly move on, instead of wasting the rebuild years.

 

He already plays SF at the point position. I dont think we should throw him away he just shouldnt be a starting point guard or a guard at all for that matter.

 

KPJ gets taken out the starting lineup to play 6th man .. He balls out for the rest of the season... Rockets brass come to him and say " Hey we think you're more valuable and have a chance to be really special as a 6th man.. Look at Jamal Crawford and Lou Williams careers. You can set a new standard for the role . " ... KPJ responds " I want to start".. They say no... Chances of something being tossed 70/30?

 

He played 50 games as a SF in CLE, and it did not work. KPJ spoke at length about it when he came to Houston.

If you try to move him off the ball now, you might as well cut him. We are better off developing KJM there.

 

It's really too bad we can't make him a black Ginobili.

 

WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT CLEVELAND lol

 

He would still play 30 minutes and crunch time in this scenario.

 

Hes trying to get traded to Lakers after Lebron talked with him lol

 

I see where you’re coming from, I can respect that POV

 

From what I have heard Porter has been late to and missed practice this season a number of times and has had numerous confrontations with coaches and players. Lucas being screamed at and arguing with Porter is the norm.

At this point hard to place all the blame on anyone. Silas makes some weird decisions and isn’t confrontational enough… the front office doesn’t get chemistry and the players are in some cases are head cases… just a difficult situation for everyone involved.

 

I agree, it's just time for a change. Dont get me started with Silas... lol We need a coach that holds players accountable that isn't afraid to disciplining them.

I believe it was against the Heat that KPJ had a stretch of bad possession, then he got a tech but silas didn't bench him for his mistakes.

What KPJ did was not acceptable, I think it's best to just move on. I don't want our young guys to think that this is okay. And the fact that KPJ thinks he is a leader and wants to lead us is a bad example for our rookies. This man has a terrible attitude, plus his body language on the court is just horrible. I really don't want our young guys to pick up any of his bad habits.

 

But the GM makes the player and personnel decisions. Of course the players need to take responsibility for their behavior and the coach has to set the expectations, but the GM is responsible for making things work (the coaches and the players). Stone’s moves have been questionable at best and he has significant responsibility for the current situation. Does he think he can build a winning culture with these kinds of players? What the rockets do from here is going to speak volumes about the competence of the front office. The track record is not very good so far.

 

We are in a rebuild, taking some high risk, high reward players seems pretty appropriate.

 

I wish there was some transparency about this. Heated in the moment after an embarrassing 2nd quarter showing I can understand -even to the point of walking out(although obviously it should still hold consequences)…but if this is a recurring issue that we are finding out is one of several similar instances, then that changes things entirely and I think we should find a quiet way to unload him. Undermining coaches consistently is NOT something you want young rookies around.

 

I really don't understand this. For all his lip service about Houston turning his life around, I thought he would at least make an effort to not be a shethead to the coaches and miss practice.

 

He's managed to shoot worse the longer he has been in the league. He doesn't play good defense or make good decisions with the ball. Sure he has some talent, but there are tons of guys in the NBA with talent. He isn't worth the headache. Cut him or trade him for scraps.

 

Antonio Brown refused to go into the game today, he left the field mid game. By the end of the game he was no longer on the team. Just saying.

 

Such a shame KPjr.

So much talent, and yet seems less interested in developing g his game and more interested in making sure he looks cool when running....

 

if that is true and Porter has been missing practices, I am all in favor of cutting him.

DD