Craig Porter Jr. making most of minutes with Cavaliers

In the modern NBA, players shoot 3-pointers at an alarming rate. Craig Porter Jr., however, is an anomaly. The Cavaliers' rookie point guard rarely shoots from behind the arc. Heck, he doesn't even attempt many shots from 18 feet. He does almost all his damage on drives to the basket and pull-up jumpers in the lane. "I try to live in the paint," Porter said. "Layups are the easiest thing to do in the game of basketball. I try to get as many layups as possible." Largely because of injuries to his backcourt, Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff has been forced to play Porter. With the way the 6-foot-2, 186-pounder has responded, it might not be wise to quit giving him quality minutes. In his last two games, Porter is averaging 16.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists. He's shooting .632 from the field (12-of-19) and hasn't missed on seven free throw attempts. Included was a career-high 21 points, four rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block in 25 minutes in Cleveland's 121-109 victory over the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets on Sunday. The point total was the most scored by an undrafted Cavs rookie since Matthew Dellavedova in 2014. "He's from Indiana, so he's got that 'dog' in him," Cavs point guard Darius Garland said. "He's just getting his feet wet." The Cavs (7-6) were playing without guards Donovan Mitchell (hamstring), Caris LeVert (knee) and Ty Jerome (ankle) against the Nuggets. "Obviously, that position is kind of crowded when you are healthy and guys are playing," Bickerstaff said. "What it gives you is an opportunity where you don't have to stretch guys out. You can play guys a reasonable amount of minutes. "We've been testing with playing (Porter) alongside Darius (Garland). Now, he can play either guard spot. He's proven that he's capable and he can help us." The Cleveland coaches were impressed with how Porter played in Summer League and training camp. So, this isn't a complete surprise to them. The Terre Haute, Indiana, native played five seasons in college, the last four at Wichita State. "He is a very mature basketball player," Bickerstaff said. "He has a game. He isn't hunting and searching. He knows exactly who he is. He knows how to get to his spots and when and how to be aggressive. "You have trust and believe in a guy who always seems to be composed." Porter, 23, said he's been in almost every scenario possible after his college career. He is averaging 6.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists in eight games. He's shooting .556 from the field and .706 from the foul line. By the way, he did attempt a 3-pointer in the Knicks game Oct. 31 — and missed. He walked into the press room after Sunday's game with his "career high" ball given to him by Mitchell. Porter said he was aware of his soaring numbers as the game wore on. "I can't lie, I look up at the scoreboard all the time," he said. "After each game, my confidence builds and builds. The coaches believe in me and the guys are pushing me to get better." Porter is playing on a two-way contract, which will limit him to playing 50 games with the Cavs. If things continue at this pace, he might have his contract converted to a regular deal. "I figured I'd be in the G League," he said. "Obviously, with injuries, you have to be ready. That's something they told me early, 'Be ready. You never know when your number will be called.' I took that to heart." Porter doesn't shy away from contact. He developed that trait at an early age. "I'm the youngest of five," he said. "I was getting beat up all the time. It was something I was used to." Contact Bob Finnan at rfinnan30@gmail.com. Follow him @BobCavsinsider on X.