Milwaukee Bucks: Bobby Portis continues being the “portrait of intensity”

Throughout his first season with the Milwaukee Bucks, it did not take long for Bobby Portis to establish himself as a fan favorite. Due to his energy, grit, and determination, Portis cemented his status as a folk hero in this city forever as he helped the Bucks win their first title in 50 years, and then decided to run it back with the franchise by re-signing in free agency for cheap.

As predicted, Portis has been huge for the Bucks throughout the first few games of the season as the team battles through injuries. Starting center Brook Lopez has missed all but one game, giving Portis the chance to start in six games thus far after starting in just seven all of last season. He is making a positive impact early with the extended role, which was evident in a recent win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Portis was fantastic in the matchup, scoring 17 points while tallying five rebounds, two assists, a steal, and a blocked shot. Although he stuffed the stat sheet, it was his energy that truly stood out in this matchup. Portis was flying all over the place from start to finish, grabbing boards, cleaning up missed shots, and just being active all around. In the play below, Portis is visibly fired up after burying a 3-pointer, which prompted ESPN’s Mark Jones to label him, “a portrait of intensity.”

 Bobby Portis and his endless motor have been incredibly valuable for the shorthanded Milwaukee Bucks this season

Due to how injury-riddled the Bucks have been, Portis’ importance in the rotation has went up drastically. The seventh-year man is playing a career-high 27.3 minutes per game in the early going this season, seeing a more prominent role than ever before. His numbers have showcased this increased role as well as Portis is averaging 13.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists across 10 appearences thus far. Those 13.8 points on average are the second-highest mark of his career, while his rebounds would be second and assists third.

The big man is playing some of the best basketball in his career early with the Bucks, and that is particuarly evident with his rebounding numbers. Portis is averaging 2.4 offensive rebounds on a nightly basis this season, continuing to show that he is not afriad to do the dirty work close to the hoop. He will battle for the boards down low like his life depends on it, and as he always does, he will let the opposing team know how hyped up he is about it once he snags one. This rebounding from Portis has been welcoming with Lopez sidelined as the Bucks continue to lack size.

Portis has also done his part to protect the rim without Lopez as he is averaging 0.9 blocks a night for the Bucks, a career-best. It comes in a rather small sample size, but these early returns are a great sign for Portis and his defensive efforts. The same goes for his steals, as he has tied his career-high from last season with 0.8 per game. That endless energy has allowed him to stay vigilant at all times defensively, and the Bucks are seeing the benefits early.

The legend of Portis continues to grow in Milwaukee as the “People’s Champ” is off to another great start.