Kevin Porter Jr. has been forced to take on a larger workload with Giannis Antetokounmpo out of the lineup lately, and he's accepted the challenge. Offensively, the guard is putting up the best numbers of his NBA career, and a big reason has been his success as a ball-handler in the pick and roll. With a Giannis-sized hole in the lineup, the Bucks must keep utilizing this skill as much as possible.
Porter's pick and roll play has been excellent
As the ball-handler in pick and roll situations, Porter is averaging 7.7 points, which ranks in the top 10 in the NBA among players to attempt at least five such shots per game. He's doing so while boasting the best effective field goal percentage in the league under that same criteria at 63.3. As for points per possession in this regard, he's averaging 1.18, the third-best in the NBA.
For all of those categories, he competes with players like Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and All-Stars in Cade Cunningham and Donovan Mitchell. That is not bad company whatsoever and highlights just how impactful Kevin Porter Jr. has been for Milwaukee.
As the Milwaukee Bucks look to keep the offense afloat with Giannis Antetokounmpo sidelined due to injury, Porter's near-elite pick and roll scoring should be a consistent source of production. Getting Myles Turner, Bobby Portis, and Jericho Sims involved to help set up Porter should be a priority for Doc Rivers as he scrambles to right the ship.
One could argue that Porter needs to be involved in even more pick and rolls. Despite his production, his five shot attempts per matchup as the ball-handler in these situations is tied for the fewest among 21 qualifying players. If he bumps up those shot attempts, joining the upper echelon of pick and roll creators across the NBA, his production could reach an even further level.
On the year, Porter is now averaging 21.8 points while shooting 55.8 percent, including 61.8 percent from long distance. It's a small sample size of only six games, but for a player who has missed a good chunk of time due to ankle and meniscus injuries, putting up these numbers is beyond impressive. He is the go-to with Giannis out, and the Milwaukee Bucks need him to captain this offense.
Based on these stats, Kevin Porter Jr. has a clear point of emphasis to keep hammering home when he has the ball in his hands.
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