Bobby Portis voices wistful pain Bucks fans feel more than ever

The Milwaukee Bucks enjoyed a playoff run of nine straight seasons, peaking in 2021 with their first title in half a century. 2026 was the first time in a decade that they missed out on the reindeer games altogether. 

It's an unfamiliar feeling, for fans as well as players. After an especially epic Game 7 between Boston and Philadelphia in the first round, Bucks forward Bobby Portis shared a relatable sentiment in a Twitter post.

I miss playoff hoops. You, BP, and every Bucks fan who has followed the team for any time at all.

Missing playoffs is growing predictably painful for the Bucks

Even as Milwaukee's recent trips to the postseason ended in disappointment and frustration, there is something to be said for simply earning the chance to chase glory. Don't let ring culture have everything. Does failing to win it all amount to failure, per se? Giannis himself famously rejected that idea, and he wants a second ring more than anyone. 

Getting there still counts.

It was hard to feel that way after three consecutive first-round exits. For Bucks teams meant to contend for championships, getting bounced early didn't count for enough. Ill-timed injuries offered meager comfort as an excuse. 

On the outside looking in, the perspective changes. Just being in the thick of it, competing for higher stakes than a W or an L in the regular-season standings, is a privilege worth playing for. That notion hits a lot harder when the privilege is stripped. 

Games have gotten better as Round 1 winds down. Only two series wrapped up before Game 6. For Bucks fans on Saturday night, watching the 76ers and Celtics trade buckets and defensive stops in the final minutes was as agonizing as it was enthralling. They can remember a time not so long ago when those teams were perennial playoff rivals. 

Rivals stayed relevant while Milwaukee reeled

Both Boston and Philadelphia have survived internal turmoil to field contenders when they weren't supposed to. Even with the Celtics' first-round defeat, Joe Mazzula coached his team to a 56-win season that exceeded the most rosy-eyed predictions. The second round is farther than Nick Nurse was expected to take the 76ers.

They got there despite center Joel Embiid missing the first three playoff games. Despite the fact that, for most of the year, he wasn't even their best player. It's Tyrese Maxey's team now.

There is a bitter Bucks lesson here about the importance of chemistry and hiring the right head coach. Hint: it was never Doc Rivers.

For a variety of reasons, Milwaukee was doomed to disaster early on this season. The Bucks weren't able to right the ship the way they were a year ago after starting 2-8. Perhaps part of the reason they took so long to commit to tanking is that it felt so unnatural. 

Portis knows how it is on both sides of the fence. He knows what it's like to watch from the sidelines from his time with the Knicks, Wizards, and Bulls. He knows what it's like to win it all. 

Win or lose, Portis knows what it's like to perform on the biggest stage. He has played in 48 playoff games and scored 520 postseason points as a Buck. Being left out in the cold wasn't something he had experienced in Milwaukee. It didn't take long for Portis or Bucks fans to find out how much it hurts. 

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