Milwaukee Bucks: NBA 2K22 rating for Bobby Portis is a downright travesty

The Milwaukee Bucks certainly do not have much to complain about following their title-winning campaign in 2020-21.

However, in anticipation of the release of NBA 2K22, the best-selling video game, it seems like the defending world champions might not be getting the credit they deserve. The team’s leading trio of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday all recently received their ratings, which followed with controversy as fans deemed them too low.

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That same sentiment followed for big man Bobby Portis, who was recently given his rating by Ronnie Singh, aka Ronnie 2K, the game’s digital marketing director.

Singh revealed that Portis would be rated a 79 overall in NBA 2K22, which caused an uproar of disapproval from not just the big man himself but the fanbase that has embraced him so dearly since he signed with the team during the previous offseason as well.

After his fantastic 2020-21 season with the Milwaukee Bucks, Bobby Portis deserves a higher rating on NBA 2K22

Considering Portis finished NBA 2K21 with an 81 overall rating, seeing his rating by two points after this past season is a head-scratcher.

The big man had one of the best seasons of his career by averaging 11.4 points per game while shooting career-highs in both field goal percentage (52.3) and 3-point percentage (47.1). While his points on average might not jump off the page, he was beyond efficient, boasting the third-best mark from the perimeter in the league during the regular season. He was also a prolific rebounder by hauling in 7.1 per game, a solid amount off the bench. His efforts during the regular season would earn him some consideration for Sixth Man of the Year honors.

Sure, things did get somewhat hectic during the playoffs as Portis saw his efficiency and overall production regress considerably. Part of that was due to his diminished role, as the big man was booted from the rotation entirely in the team’s second round series with the Brooklyn Nets. After that, however, he would make his return to the lineup and play a key role for the Bucks in the next two rounds vs. the Atlanta Hawks and Phoenix Suns, making two starts in place of the previously injured Giannis Antetokounmpo.

All in all, Portis deserves well above a 79 overall rating after helping the Bucks become world champions. The game has rookies that are yet to step foot on an NBA court in a regular season game rated higher or exactly the same as Portis ahead of its release date. That is just puzzling. Our own Bradshaw Furlong predicted that Portis would have been an 81 to begin the game as he handed out predictions for the roster, which was a feasible prediction. Two points might not seem like a world of difference, but an 81 would have been far more fitting than a 79.

Ultimately, the ratings can change through the course of the season, and the bar can be set lower so players can raise it. That will certainly be the case with Portis, who will undeniably raise his 79 overall rating throughout the 2021-22 season. The 26-year-old has fully embraced an underdog mentality his entire life, and this rating should add some extra motivation, although the champ is not likely losing any sleep over it.

Fans should expect big things for Portis next season as he and the Bucks aim to defend their title.