Summer League Practice | Craig Porter Jr. | 7.8.2024

Summer League Practice | Craig Porter Jr. | 7.8.2024

when did your ankle finally get healthy uh a couple weeks ago I actually started like training and uh playing some pickup and just seeing what the overall feel of it was but it’s it’s gotten a lot better I’m probably about 85 90% right now so when do you think you’ll get back to 100 uh it’ll be achy and a little sore and stuff after I play always uh that’s kind of expected probably for the next month I would imagine but uh I mean it’s not really any restrictions or anything that I’m on so it really feels 100 it’s just the achiness to it but it should be F soon at this point you’re a summer league bat so what’s your approach going into your second one uh just doing a lot of teaching uh trying to find my voice and just overall help myself and help the team you know we want to go back to back and get another championship obviously but uh the big thing is just learning everything it’s some new system and new coaches and just just really helping everybody figure this out where do you feel like your game is at now compared to when you were in this chair last uh I feel like I’ve grown a lot uh not only as a person off the but on the court uh I mean just just overall just learning how to be a pro and just learning habits and just different ways to figure out how to score or really just make impact the basketball game uh I mean because like I like when I first got here I I didn’t expect to be a score or anything or even to be with the Cavs at all so really to just do the things I’ve done I mean it’s it’s it’s been big what was your recovery process like uh it’s just a lot of recovery uh as far as just icing uh just a lot of plow metrics is stretching and he’s doing a lot of the little stuff to just trying to get the the overall swelling and everything back but uh I mean it’s it’s almost back to 100 how would you assess your rookie year overall uh I think it was a pretty good Rie year um it was it was a pretty unexpected one too because uh you know obviously with a lot of the injuries and everything we had I had to step up and perform in a role I didn’t expect and uh but it was pretty fun though knowing what you had to come into your rookie year not knowing that you’re going to get a lot of flame time and then getting a lot of playing time how do you think you were able to over your uh I I typically credit that a lot to my 5 years in college uh I mean I I kind of played every role you can play I went from being a bench person to the lead person on the team just having to do almost everything so it really just gave me a feel for everything you would need to do to be on a good team and coming into the NBA I figured I’d be a role player so it was something I kind of was used to and just understood that it’ be part of my future obviously competitor you want to be out there for the playoffs seeing how far their guys went this past year how hungry are you to get back to that level again this next year uh it’d be big to get there next year I mean like you said the injuries and everything to happen like that at that time is I mean it hurt us a lot but I mean I feel like our guys went out there and did everything they could but it’d be good to get back there again what level of interaction have you had with Kenny Aon at this point uh we talked a little bit uh he’s obviously been overseas a lot with the uh Olympic stuff so but I’ve talked to him a lot text him and just Tred to get a better understanding of him and everything I’ve heard about him has been nothing but good and just the way he likes the coach and his style and everything so it should be a fun year I think has he given you any kind of indication um in those conversations about like an outline for the things that that he wants from you this summer uh a little bit not really anything too in detail just because we got our introductions and stuff out the way but uh he just told me he liked my game and just told me to keep being myself so I mean any coach that tells you that I mean it’s it’s just a big p on the back so gu the guy who’s been through it summer league and full season what’s your advice to the young guys just stay ready I mean you never know when your time’s going to come and just just make sure you’re prepared for it when it does come because it could actually change your life how much like some Le really it’s not about winning it but how much did winning it matter how much did that change how you went in the season uh I feel like it it put a a big light on a lot of things uh not I mean a I feel like a lot of people see summer league as just like a a preseason a lot of preseason games but it can show like some some weaknesses and strengths in some people and it can obviously like us going that far nobody expecting us to do that it can open some eyes and it just helps players just just be seen around the league so I feel like it was helpful for sure what are your initial impression impressions of Jord you said of who Jordan oh uh I feel like he’s a really good coach I mean he’s he’s hands on he’s simple to talk to and he just makes everybody’s lives easier and some of the things he’s implemented as far as the offense and defense it’s just it’s just great and he he’s a great listener so anything we have questions or anything we need to talk to him about he’s hands on with it so just been good better you typically been somebody that snuck up on people as far as like scouting reports now that people know what’s coming are you looking forward to that challenge and responding to how they adjust uh definitely uh it’s it’s going to be interesting to just to see the different ways I’m I’m challenged in all the ways I mean especially it’s a long season so it’ll definitely be interesting to just see what teams throw at me and just the different things in that aspect what was your reaction when you heard that Donovan resigned uh I I kind of I don’t know I kind of expected him to I mean I just felt like who wouldn’t want to be the number one option and hey you get all the money you can want but uh I mean I was excited you know I texted him I told him congrats and everything and I mean I know he was pumped so I mean it was just a big thing for us CU I mean everybody knows what he can do and the things he can do for this team as far as just on the court off the court and just helping people just it’s a big Point hey cig as a followup expecting team to connect you differently this year are in the past you know what you expect how do you prepare for that and take that next step uh really a lot of things I’ve just asked like Carris and a lot of different guys just what what preparations or what little rhythms they have as far as how they go towards working out or just figuring out how to get around defenses I know a lot of teams know I don’t shoot threes right now but that’s one been one of my big things just working on a lot of my threes just shooting off to dribble and things so I just been trying to do everything I can to make it hard for defenses and stop you became close withman last season what have you seen in his growth this off season what have you seen him trying uh specifically work on during the offense uh I mean he’s just worked on his overall Game and his his defensive game a lot I feel like uh I mean cuz that’s one of the things last year that could have got him on the court a little more and uh I just feel like honestly he’s he’s one of those players he’s just going to always work his hardest cuz he feels like he deserves it and I feel like he does too so he’s just been one of those guys he’s going to work to that always first impression of Jaylen jayen Tyson he’s he’s a player he’s I feel like he’s worth that pick uh his future is bright and he’s just a really smart guy like he he can put the ball in the hoop all three levels he can defend and he’s a hustle guy he’s diving in practices yesterday and I was like all you do that in summer league I’m like you got a promising future in my eyes so I feel like he’s going to be pretty good though all right thank you

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Craig Porter Jr. spoke with the media following practice at Cleveland Clinic Courts on July 8, 2024.