It will be a difficult season for the Milwaukee Bucks as they prepare to make a serious run for the Larry O’Brien trophy next year. Almost everyone on the Bucks roster understands that they might be looked upon as underdogs against some of the better teams in the Eastern Conference.
While they have an incredible duo in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, they alone cannot carry the Bucks into a FInals appearance when you have an overpowering team like the Boston Celtics. It also doesn’t help that the Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks revamped their lineups in major ways over the summer.
Milwaukee’s supporting cast has a lot of work to do if they’re going to provide any meaningful support to their superstar duo. One analyst especially asked a big question on a key contributor that can only be addressed on the hardwood.
Analyst asks if Bobby Portis can remain consistent for the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2024-25 season
Jack Trehearne of Brew Hoop wrote an in-depth piece that addressed the biggest issue for three Bucks players. The question he had for Bobby Portis didn’t question whether he’d be able to step up, but it’s more of being present on the court for the squad throughout the season:
Bobby has had three seasons out of his nine-year career in which his team outscored the opponent while he shared the court. Some of that can be tied to playing on bad teams, sure. And to his credit, one of those three positive seasons was with the Bucks in 2021/22, where the team was an impressive +9.3 per 100 possessions in Bobby’s minutes. But overall, the numbers don’t lie. Opponents outscored Milwaukee by five to six points in Portis’ minutes over the other three seasons he’s been a Buck per Cleaning the Glass.
Like Lillard, Portis isn’t going to magically turn into a good defender. However, my issue with Bobby has always been his lack of focus and commitment to meeting the minimum “do your job” requirement on that end.
Portis enjoyed his best basketball for the Bucks in his time as an NBA player. He averaged 13.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists through his stint in Milwaukee. If the Bucks are going to become a tough postseason opponent, Portis must make an effort on the defensive end and make things easier for his teammates.
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