NBA fans across the globe got to witness Damian Lillard make his debut in a Milwaukee Bucks uniform as he played in the Bucks’ preseason win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. Teammate Bobby Portis is already hyping Lillard up, and not taking the opportunity to play alongside him for granted.
Bucks’ Portis Taking Advantage of Defensive Actions
With both Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo on the court and probably taking most of the defense’s attention, this leaves players like Bobby Portis to have more opportunity to take advantage of.
With Jrue Holiday now playing for the Boston Celtics, other players have to step up and play a much more important role than what they’re used to doing. This really could be the time to see Portis shine and emerge as one of the Bucks’ greatest.
Antetokounmpo did not play in the second half on Sunday, which gave both Brook Lopez and Portis to be Lillard’s big men behind him, showing the Lakers and other opposing teams why they’re going to be a problem to their defense as well:
“It’s been fun, man,” Portis said to Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “Obviously having a guy that can come off and knock it down like that, guys have to really respect it and be up higher, so I can slip behind the defense. Or if my man stays in coverage too long, I can pick and pop. So it’s going to be really fun being able to mix it up and just read the defense.”
While it’s going to be difficult for teams to come up with a game plan to stop Lillard and Antetokounmpo in their tracks, it’s going to be exciting watching the Bucks come up with shots, and Portis trusts that Lillard is going to make all the right reads all the time:
“He’s a great point guard – six, seven, eight assists a game – so he’s gonna make the right reads all the time.”
Portis scored 10 points on 4-of-10 shooting, eight rebounds, and three assists across 21 minutes of play off the bench in Sunday’s win. Across the last three games, he’s scored 25 points, 20 rebounds, and seven assists in 48 total minutes of play.
And while Portis might not be the greatest NBA player out there, there’s no doubt that he brings an amazing energy to the court and fans know that he’s going to bring it every single game.
Other Milwaukee Bucks teammates and even coaches commented the flashing victory against the Lakers and how exciting it was to see Dame on the court and be able to play alongside him. It’s going to be super important that every player is able to play with one another.
There’s no telling whether or not Bucks fans will see Damian Lillard play in another preseason game, but they can likely count on Bobby Portis being on the court and doing what he does best: Being Bobby.
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