Bobby Portis brought plenty of positive attributes to the Milwaukee Bucks over the years, but like all NBA players, he wasn't perfect. One of Portis' greatest flaws was his lack of athleticism, which stood out like a sore thumb at various points during his tenure. Now, the Bucks have swapped out Portis for Kel'el Ware at the backup center position, and the latter is the complete opposite in that regard.
Portis' lack of athleticism hindered the Bucks
Once again, it has to be said that Bobby Portis did a lot of great things for the Bucks. He was among the best sixth men in the entire league for essentially his entire tenure with the franchise. That doesn't mean his troubling defense and, at times, inability to snag boards should go entirely unnoticed, even if he helped the team win a title.
Defense was always Portis' Achilles' heel. The big man simply lacks the mobility or fluidity to make his mark on that end and gets picked apart by opposing players at times. It's among the reasons he was largely an afterthought in Milwaukee's rotation during the 2021 series against the Nets, who boasted an array of versatile, athletic pieces in tow.
The lack of athletic ability hindered him less on the glass, as he still averaged eight rebounds during his Bucks tenure, but it felt like that number could have easily been double digits. His lack of mobility down low was particularly on display this past season, when he averaged 6.4 boards per game, his lowest in a Bucks jersey. Quicker, more athletic players were simply beating him to the punch.
Milwaukee gleefully took the good with the bad, but, Ware's athletic ability will be a 180 degree flip.
Ware should spice up center rotation with new feel
Though not as polished as Portis, Ware immediately offers more upside, especially when it comes to being a more athletic, mobile big man.
The 22-year-old has shown glimpses of this potential throughout his career, particularly by averaging 8.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game throughout his first two seasons. By simply being active both as a roaming defender who can defend on the perimeter and at the hoop, in addition to skying over other would-be rebounders, Ware's physicality has been a useful tool in his early days.
Now, it's time to put those gifts to good use with the Milwaukee Bucks. No one is saying that Ware will be better than Portis was during his Bucks tenure. They are wildly different players, but Ware's may be better suited for the modern game and Milwaukee's timeline.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.
Add us as a preferred source on Google