As the Milwaukee Bucks look to do everything in their power to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo believing in the team’s competitive potential, several key free agent decisions mark this summer as a big turning point for the franchise. With long-time veterans like Bobby Portis and Brook Lopez looming as potential departures, which one stands out as positively impacting Antetokounmpo the most? Advanced stats point to one clear answer.
Advanced Stats Show One Key Free Agent Helps Giannis Antetokounmpo Be His Best Self on Offense
Re-building around Giannis Antetokounmpo, one of the greatest NBA players of all-time, is expected to be the plan for the Milwaukee Bucks this offseason. Barring an Antetokounmpo trade request, the franchise will likely attempt to re-tool the roster to help return the team to playoff contention. For an aging squad like Milwaukee, a big part of that is getting younger.
Thus, two aging veteran free agents become big question marks for the front office. Center Brook Lopez and forward Bobby Portis served the Bucks well during their 2021 NBA Championship, but are not getting any younger. The current Bucks core has shown that it is not good enough. Lopez is an unrestricted free agent, while Portis has a player-option. Which, if any, is the veteran that Milwaukee should remain committed to?
If advanced stats have anything to say about it, only one of these two positively contribute to helping Antetokounmpo be his best self on offense – and that player is Portis.
Bobby Portis Makes a Huge Difference For Giannis Antetokounmpo on Offense
In 2025, minutes with Portis on the floor alongside the Greek Freak led to increased field goal efficiency, free throw attempts, and better shot quality. Meanwhile, the opposite is true for minutes with Lopez on the floor.
Using advanced stats supplied by the NBA analytics tool databallr, one can see that playing alongside Portis means Antetokounmpo’s true shooting percentage rises almost 3 points, his three-point percentage soars upwards over 8 points, and both his field goal percentage at the rim and free throw attempts per 75 possessions also increase. All of these points illustrate that Portis makes Antetokounmpo that much more effective offensively.
Antetokounmpo’s points and assists per 75 are essentially equivalent with Portis on or off the court. One aspect worth noting is that Portis negatively impacts Antetokounmpo’s rebounding numbers. However, that is mostly due to the fact that Portis averages 8.4 rebounds per game himself. When Lopez (5 rpg) is in the game, Antetokounmpo has more chances to battle on the glass due to Lopez frequently being spaced outside the three-point line.
Meanwhile, the presence of Lopez makes Antetokounmpo less efficient offensively. His true shooting percentage is 4 points worse with Lopez on the floor with him, and his shots at the rim and free throw attempts are also down. His three-point percentage is halved when Lopez is also in the game, down from 32% without him to only 16.3% with.
Advanced stats showcase that Portis allows Antetokounmpo to be more effective on offense, while Lopez has the opposite effect. When combined with the fact that Lopez requires a defensive scheme of drop coverage when dealing with opponent pick-and-rolls, a strategy that is becoming less and less effective in the modern NBA, perhaps it is time that Milwaukee move on from Lopez.
For More Great Wisconsin Sports Content
Follow us at @WiSportsHeroics for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in Wisconsin sports, click here!
