3 key takeaways for Milwaukee Bucks following games in Abu Dhabi

Takeaways from trip to Abu Dhabi No. 2 – Bobby Portis trying new things in the preseason for Milwaukee Bucks

Bobby Portis has been on the record this offseason about how the Celtics series, as mentioned earlier, made him a better player. Portis talked at Bucks Media Day about how the series made him get back to the drawing board and get better.

"“I’m ready now. I worked on my game a lot this summer.” -Bobby Portis"

Portis appears to have worked very hard this summer to become a player. Early in the preseason, Portis’ work to become a better ball-handler has been on full display. Portis has taken the ball up the court numerous times following a defensive rebound, something that we rarely saw out of Portis in his first two seasons with the team.

It’ll be interesting to see if Portis continues to take the ball up as the preseason wraps up and into the regular season. If he does, it should be helpful for the team offensively. With Giannis Antetokounmpo as their superstar player, Portis being able to push the ball and set up those transition opportunities could be a big thing for the Bucks. If Portis can get out in transition successfully, he can create scoring chances for Antetokounmpo in transition or slow it down and get the offense set up.

Even for Portis, having the ability to take the ball up the floor is another useful addition to his game. From the looks of things early in this preseason, it seems Portis will be more versatile on the offensive end this season.