Kevin Porter Jr.'s return for the Milwaukee Bucks gave fans hope as he helped snap a seven-game losing streak over the weekend. Things crashed back down to earth, however, with KPJ scoring 30 points and leaving Monday's defeat to the Washington Wizards early, meaning Cole Anthony may get another opportunity to prove he belongs in the rotation.
Cole Anthony has to step up should KPJ miss more time
Porter was the exact spark the Bucks offense needed, with his ability to create for himself being something the roster had been lacking. There is no update yet on his status, but Eric Nehm of The Athletic reported it was a lower back spasm. He left the game with around seven minutes left and would not return.
After exiting the season opener, Porter brought an injection of life to the roster in his first game back, where the Bucks snapped that losing streak with a win over the Brooklyn Nets. On Monday, he scored a game-high 30 points in 12-of-15 (80 percent) from the field.
The injury bug strikes once again for Milwaukee, and that may well mean the Cole Anthony experiment is resuscitated. He opened the season brilliantly, giving fans a glimpse of what he could offer to the team. Fast forward to late November, and he has found it hard to come by minutes. Anthony managed to stay under five minutes in Washington, with a total of 17 minutes over the last three games.
Doc Rivers may have lost confidence in him, but he has also struggled to find a consistent starting five to run with. Giannis Antetokounmpo's injury, of course, had an impact, and in these last two games, he has started both Porter and Ryan Rollins in the backcourt. There is no telling what the starting five will look like on Wednesday against the Detroit Pistons.
Should Jon Horst feel the roster needs freshening up, December 15 is a key date with many players around the league becoming trade eligible. Milwaukee is still outside the play-in spots with a record of 9-13 after a loss to the East's worst team, which may prompt the front office to make bold moves to get this team rolling.
Hopefully, Porter's injury was just an impact injury and something that he can recover from quickly. Milwaukee desperately needed his offense, and in his two games back, he impressed. Now there will be pressure on Anthony and Gary Trent Jr. to spark something into this team.
You know what you are getting from Giannis on a nightly basis. Rollins has really stepped up. Now all eyes are on the supporting cast, and Cole Anthony may need to be pushed back into the rotation to bring some life to the Bucks.