Milwaukee Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin has been experimenting with all sorts of lineup combinations early on this season. However, one player, among others, who has found consistent minutes under the new coach’s watch is Bobby Portis.
The veteran big man has resumed his usual role as the energy guy coming off the bench, and he’s averaged 18.8 minutes for the second unit in Milwaukee’s first five games of the season. As it turns out, though, it appears that Portis is in line for an even bigger role moving forward.
Milwaukee Bucks Coach Speaks on Bobby Portis’ Value
When asked about the integral role Portis has played for his rotation to start the season, Griffin had nothing but high praise on the 6-foot-10 big man:
“He’s been terrific,” Griffin said. “He’s doing everything we ask him to do. I think I have to find a way to keep him on the floor a little bit more. Increase his minutes because he’s doing such a phenomenal job.
“He’s denying and getting deflections and steals, putting a lot of pressure on opposing bigs and putting them under duress. That’s what we want. He moves well enough to get out there and be higher in pick-and-roles and more aggressive in pick-and-rolls. And again, we are flexible there. We can move him around as well.
“But I think overall, finding him more minutes, I think will be beneficial for our group.”
Griffin has obviously been left impressed by Portis’ work ethic and his ability to impact the game in his limited time on the floor. As such, the rookie shot-caller has already declared his intention to provide more minutes for the 28-year-old.
If you look at Portis’ Per-36 numbers this season, the vet is putting up averages of 19.9 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 2.3 steals. It’s no guarantee that he will be able to reach those same heights if he plays 36 minutes per game (which is unlikely), but as Griffin said, increasing Portis’ minutes can only be good for the Bucks.
What cannot be ignored as well is the fact that Portis’ impact goes way beyond the box score. All his contributions don’t show up on the stat sheet, but there’s no denying that he’s going to be one of the most important players on the roster this season.
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