Against the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this week, Bobby Portis made just one of his six shots and finished with just three points and eight rebounds to show for his 20 minutes on the floor. Yet, he was a game-high +28 on the heels of stout defense and an irrepressible energy.
It was the same story against Denver. Despite going just 3-7 from the field, Portis’ +16 was second only to Khris Middleton who was a +17.
The truth is that Bobby Portis is more than just a scorer off the bench. Like it or not, it’s become increasingly clear that Bobby Portis is proving us wrong about his defense.
It’s time to talk about Portis’ defense
When the Bucks picked him up in the offseason, many naysayers pointed out the former Knicks center’s struggles on the defensive end.
On paper, it’s a narrative that makes sense. After all, Portis was a defensive liability for most of his time in Chicago and New York. He’s another lanky and relatively uncoordinated big. He’s clumsy at times, and he gets into foul trouble rather quickly.
Portis came into the Bucks this season alongside offensive players Bryn Forbes and DJ Augustine, neither of whom are exactly what you’d call defensive stalwarts. The drop-off in defensive ability has definitely been felt too, and it shows in the stats. The Bucks have been fluctuating between the seventh and tenth spots in defensive efficiency after sporting the NBA’s best defense a season ago.
Not much of this has been Portis’ fault, however. The bench spark plug is churning out the best basketball of his career in Milwaukee, and not just in terms of scoring. While the criticism is not unfounded, it has also been largely incorrect. Here’s what the numbers say.
Portis time. pic.twitter.com/pciOPzJVSd
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) December 15, 2020
The good
Where he excels as a defender, believe it or not, is outside of the restricted area. He’s not a strictly drop coverage center like Brook Lopez, and it shows. On three-pointers and shots taken more than 15 feet from the rim, the opposition is shooting 28.1% and 31.6%, respectively, when covered by Portis.
Quicker guards or sturdier centers are still not the most ideal matchups. Portis spends 57% of his minutes matched up against forwards, where he only allows opponents to make 33.3% of their attempts when he is the sole defender, per NBA matchup stats.
Here’s a look at some of his more notable defensive assignments so far this season in possessions where he was the lone defender:
- Isaiah Stewart: 1-of-5 (20%) 29 partial possessions (6:39 matchup minutes)
- Larry Nance Jr.: 1-of-4 (25%) 27.3 PPoss (7:19)
- Precious Achiuwa: 1-of-5 (20%) 20.1 PPoss (5:16)
- Julius Randle: 0-of-4 in 10.2 PPoss (2:52)
- Jerami Grant: 1-of-6 (16.7%) in 9.4 PPoss (2:29)
- Chris Boucher: 2-of-6 (33.3%) in 6.5 PPoss (1:37)
- Carmelo Anthony: 1-of-4 (25.0%) in 6.6 PPoss (1:44)
Team defense isn’t as encouraging
These only speak to his strength as an individual, on-ball defender, but team defense is a different story. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Milwaukee Bucks allow +2.1 more points when Portis is on the court versus when he is off. He’s in the 39th percentile in this category.
But the Bucks also have a better defensive rating in their 407 minutes with Portis on the court (104) than in the 536 with Lopez as the lone big (109). Per Basketball-Reference, he’s third in defensive rating (107) behind Craig and Antetokounmpo.
He’s also averaging the most blocks per game of his career, albeit on a measly 0.5 blocks a contest. Per NBA Stats, he blocks 1.9% of opponents’ two-pointer attempts per game, also a career-high. Somehow he’s only had ten blocks in 22 games for the season so far.
Coach Budenholzer on Bobby Portis: "His personality and edge have been a great addition to our group."
Full postgame presser ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/xQHf5dptlR
— Bally Sports Wisconsin (@BallySportWI) February 6, 2021
The bad
Portis doesn’t come without flaws, to be sure. Part of what made him infuriating to watch for New York Fans is still on full display at times.
Defending without fouling still needs a bit of work too. Through 24 games, he’s actually committing the most shooting fouls per game in his career at 1.41, according to PDP Stats. He also leads the Bucks in shooting fouls committed with 34 so far.
The 6-foot 10 center clearly still needs to bulk up and improve on paint defense. He holds lackluster defensive field goal percentages when defending less than 10 feet from the rim, where he gives up 58.4% shooting. On overall two-pointers, 52.7% of attempts taken against him hit their mark.
At this stage in his career, Portis also still clearly struggles when pit against the upper echelon of starting bigs in the NBA. Take these matchups when he was made to defend the league’s star centers:
- Bam Adebayo: 4-of-6 (66.7%) 18.9 PPoss (4:42)
- Andre Drummond: 4-of-6 (66.7%) 18.3 PPoss (4:43)
- John Collins: 3-of-4 (75.0%) 14.3 PPoss (3:20)
- Zion Williamson: 2-of-4 (50%) 5.5 PPoss (1:27)
Signs for optimism
But all this is just to say that Portis is not the defensive minus he was earlier in his career. He’s been one of this season’s biggest revelations for Milwaukee, after all. On the defensive end, he continues to show marked improvement as the second big man when Brook Lopez sits, as evidenced by the best defensive rating he’s had in his career.
Playing backup for one of the best rim protectors in the league and next to the reigning Defensive Player of the Year is a tall order for any young player.
It’s time we see Bobby Portis for what he is: a solid, all-around spark plug to come off the bench to score and defend when Giannis sits. He’s not going to be the two-way big that Anthony Davis is, but we shouldn’t expect him to be that either.
Standing at 6-foot-11, the 25-year-old clearly has a lot to figure out on that end of the floor. Luckily for him, he has the rest of the season to do so, and in the company of some of the league’s best defenders.
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