Milwaukee Bucks: Importance of Bryn Forbes, Bobby Portis versus Heat
By Dalton Sell
The Milwaukee Bucks spared no expense in remodeling their second unit this past offseason by bring several household names into the fold.
Two players that have proven to be fantastic additions are Bryn Forbes and Bobby Portis. This lethal duo has provided an essential scoring spark off the bench for the Bucks all season and the team is certainly hoping they can translate that success over into the playoffs.
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They will be put to the test right away as the Bucks are set to square off against the Miami Heat in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. The first game of that series will start this coming Saturday at 1:00 p.m. CST and all eyes are on this heavyweight matchup.
While the key storylines for the Bucks will focus mainly on Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday, and Khris Middleton, both Forbes and Portis will likely play key roles in this series.
The floor spacing of Bryn Forbes and Bobby Portis will be crucial for the Milwaukee Bucks in the playoffs
The biggest weakness for the Bucks in last year’s series against the Heat was their lackluster shooting from behind the arc.
Milwaukee shot just 32.7 percent from 3-point territory across those five games against Miami and often found themselves stagnant on the offensive end without a pulse from distance. The Bucks only had three players shoot higher than 34 percent from long range in that series, with those being Donte DiVincenzo, Brook Lopez, and the now departed Kyle Korver.
This time around, the Bucks will have two of the most efficient 3-point shooters at their disposal off the bench ready to fire. Those two happen to be Portis and Forbes, who are coming off a pair of fantastic shooting seasons.
Portis finished this season with the third highest 3-point percentage in the association at 47.1 percent and shot the lights out all season. Although he shot just 2.4 attempts per game, it was by far the big man’s most efficient shooting season of his ongoing six-year career. That floor spacing in the frontcourt from Portis will be pivotal as the team will throw him out there with either Giannis Antetokounmpo or Brook Lopez at times.
Forbes found himself right behind Portis in the 3-point shooting rankings by hitting 45.2 percent of his triples this season. The sharpshooter made his money from behind the arc this year on a much higher clip than Portis by heaving 4.9 triples per contest. Also enjoying the most efficient shooting season of his career, Forbes has been a seamless fit in this let it fly minded system.
That has particularly been the case against the Heat, a team that Forbes has played fantastic basketball against in their three matchups this year. Forbes has been playing confidently by averaging 14 points on 69.6 percent shooting and an impressive 57.1 percent from 3-point territory against Miami this season. If he can keep these efforts consistent heading into the playoffs against this team, he could very well be a secret weapon in the second unit.
While the floor spacing from this sharpshooting tandem will be crucial, the Bucks will also run the risk of how the two will fare on the defensive end. Neither has made a living in this league as upstanding defenders, respectively, and it will be risky at times to have them in the game, particularly if Miami catches fire from long range.
Next. 3 takeaways from Bucks' season series against Miami Heat. dark
Nevertheless, the floor spacing from Milwaukee’s two most productive pieces off the bench will be a major factor here. If two of the top four most efficient shooters in the association can carry that same success over into the postseason, the Bucks will receive a massive boost.