Bobby Portis’ contributions to the Milwaukee Bucks over the past three NBA seasons have been nothing short of a godsend.
The big man has played some of the best basketball of his career with the Bucks, cementing his status as one of the best reserves in the business. With Portis having yet another stellar season off the bench in Milwaukee, there has been some buzz about him potentially earning the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year Award this season. Without question, Portis has been building a strong case to take home the honors for the first time in his career.
Bobby Portis’ Sixth Man of the Year case is growing for Milwaukee Bucks
In 37 games, Bobby Portis has averaged 14.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per contest. While his 14.1 points are the third-highest mark in his career, the latter two are new career bests for the 27-year-old. Despite Portis shooting 32.1 percent from 3-point range, the second-lowest percentage in his career, he is shooting 49.3 percent from the floor, which is the second-highest percentage in his career. The big man has given the Milwaukee Bucks an essential spark, and a big part of that has had to do with his outstanding rebounding abilities.
This season is the first time in his career that Portis has averaged double-digit rebounds, as he has been a terror on the glass. Per NBA.com/stats, Portis has hauled in the most rebounds off the bench by any player this season at 272 total. To show how impressive that is, the next player on the list, Nick Richards of the Charlotte Hornets, has 211. More so than ever before, Portis has emphasized attacking the glass nightly, and the results have spoken for themselves thus far.
With his combined scoring and rebounding efforts, Portis has totaled 22 double-doubles this year, which is tied for third-most in the NBA with Giannis Antetokounmpo, according to Stat Muse. The two players ahead of them are Domantas Sabonis and Nikola Jokic, while the two behind them are Julius Randle and Luka Doncic. That is certainly some good company for Portis, as that list features a group of All-Stars and MVPs. The center has the most double-doubles strictly off the bench this season with 15 total. He is just one of two players who have tallied double-digit double-doubles off the bench in 2022-23, with the other being Russell Westbrook at 11.
Portis’ strong season thus far has earned him some rightful consideration in early Sixth Man of the Year talks. Right now, the double-doubles are by far the biggest argument for Portis as he builds a case for the award. The center has been incredibly productive, and if he can continue to stack up his share of double-doubles with regularity while continuing to help the Bucks win games, the award could be his to lose. However, Portis still faces stiff competition for the award against names like Russell Westbrook, Bennedict Mathurin, and more, so it will not be easy. There is still plenty of basketball left to be played, and it will be fascinating to watch how things unfold.
No matter what happens, there is no denying how impactful Portis has been off the bench for the Milwaukee Bucks this season and in previous seasons.
Stay tuned to see if Portis takes home the Sixth Man of the Year Award for the first time ever this season.