Jontay Porter brings unwanted attention
The Toronto Raptors’ 2023-24 season has already sunk beneath the waves. After trading away luminaries Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby, the Raptors seemed to be treading water. However, a rash of injuries to critical players, plus ex-Knicks Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett being away from the team due to personal reasons, has resulted in an 11-game (and counting) losing streak.
As if all that wasn’t nasty enough, we learn that Jontay Porter, a 4/5 who appeared to be coming into his own as an NBA player, is now under investigation by the league. He won’t be suiting up against the New York Knicks on March 27, and I wouldn’t be in the least surprised if he never plays again in the NBA. Porter supposedly made a pair of ‘prop’ bets recently, in games in which he went to the dressing room early due to ‘illness’. Both the prop bets paid off big in his favour, and the gambling authorities were called in after the bet shop complained.
Note this is the best synopsis I can provide, as there is little accurate information available, though much speculation. I’d add to the speculation by saying that, while I don’t like leaning on cliches like “where there’s smoke there’s fire”, I have to in this matter. If Porter hadn’t left two games in unexpected fashion, I’d feel differently, but him doing so looks damnable.
The NBA wanted to embrace gambling, but why?
Explaining the mind of a gambling addict is beyond my ken. I’m unable to imagine what prop bets a punter thought a marginal contributor like Porter could influence, unless they were about him personally. Was there an ‘under’ wager on his total points for the games? [The two under suspicion were Jan. 24 vs. Clippers, and March 20 vs. Kings; Porter didn’t manage a point in either. How’s that for a red flag?] Porter gets on the floor, mucks about for a few minutes, then leaves for the duration. If so, that’s the worst possible scenario, as it brings up ugly possibilities of physical threats or other intimidation. Of course, one has to question how Porter could be foolish enough to bet on games when the NBA frowns on the practice. At this moment, I’d trot out another cliche: “If we didn’t have bad luck, we wouldn’t have any luck at all.”
The Raptors are cursed this season, and we fans will have no choice but to endure the slow-motion train wreck until Game 82 mercifully ends on April 14 in Miami. I wouldn’t feel quite so bad if one or two of the army of wannabes currently gaining a precious opportunity was distinguishing themselves. But that’s not happening. Ochai Agbaji is borderline unwatchable. I’ve never seen one player miss as many bunnies as him. He’s shooting a hair over 24% from deep as a Raptor. How much rope does he get? Mouhamadou Gueye has an eFG of 28.6% – and that’s from a player whose shots come from a few feet away. No, he’s not making it up with rebounds or blocked shots either.
I’m done for today. This post is too depressing.
- Tags: Jontay Porter, Toronto Raptors
