Otto Porter is the favorite to replace Paul Pierce as the Wizards' starter at small forward this season, Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post reports.

Porter is the favorite to replace Paul Pierce as the Wizards' starter at small forward this season, Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post reports.

Analysis:

After seeing scant playing time with the Wizards as a rookie, Porter emerged as a key reserve in 2014-15, averaging 19.4 minutes and contributing six points and three rebounds per game. The team appears convinced that the former No. 3 overall pick is capable of taking a leap forward in responsibility this season, as he ranks ahead of Alan Anderson, Jared Dudley, Martell Webster, and Kelly Oubre in the competition for the starting role. The preseason should ultimately determine whether Porter or one of the other candidates is best suited to fill Pierce's shoes, but an uptick in minutes should await for Porter regardless of what materializes. If the 6-foot-9 Porter doesn't win the starting job, he'll be a top reserve off the bench and can also move over to power forward when the Wizards employ small-ball lineups.