New York Knicks: 2018 NBA Draft targets who stepped up on Mar. 8

The entire basketball community had been waiting for this very moment. Michael Porter Jr. was a candidate go No. 1 overall in the 2018 NBA Draft, but a back injury limited him to a grand total of two minutes played during the 2017-18 college basketball regular season.

After spending nearly four months on the sideline, Porter returned to action with a performance that offered a brief look at what he’s capable of achieving.

Porter shot just 5-of-17 from the field as the Missouri Tigers lost a nail-biter to the Georgia Bulldogs, 62-60. Thus, one could easily surmise that the freshman phenom doesn’t belong anywhere near this list.

The numbers only tell so much of the story, however, as Porter had moments during which he clearly displayed his superstar potential.

Porter’s defense was a pleasant surprise, as he did an excellent job of trapping ball handlers and crashing the boards—see: eight rebounds. His athleticism was clearly limited by the rust that comes with spending four months on the sideline, but his fundamental prowess was on display.

Porter was able to get to his spots, defend at a quality level, and knock down a pair of three-point field goals.

5-of-17 is a tough number to stomach, but the New York Knicks should be nothing but intrigued by the fact Porter wasn’t afraid to shoot in his first game back.