For years now, the Milwaukee Bucks have had little to no stability at the backup point guard position, and after their most recent game, it looks like that will remain the case.
With Ryan Rollins, who has been the backup for most of the season, it was Kevin Porter Jr. who got the nod as his reliever. It was just Porter's second outing with the Bucks after being acquired at the NBA Trade Deadline, and it was a worthy showcase of why the team made the move for him.
Kevin Porter Jr. steals the show in Bucks' win over Timberwolves
Throughout the first three quarters, Porter didn't flat-out dazzle, tallying four points, three boards and two assists. However, it was clear that Doc Rivers saw something in his performance as he rolled with Porter for all 12 minutes in the fourth quarter. That proved to be a good decision for the Bucks, as the young guard put on a highlight reel of all of the reasons he can help this team.
The biggest thing, by far, was his tough shot-making. Though he only made two shots in the period, they were incredibly important. Up by three with eight-and-a-half minutes to play, Porter danced on the perimeter and created space for a triple. Trailing by two with 40 seconds to play, Porter waltzed down the lane and hit a floater over 7-footer Rudy Gobert to knot the game at 101. It was the biggest shot of the night by any player.
When he wasn't knocking down shots, Porter was doing all of the little things. The guard was a force on the glass, hunting down rebounds as he hauled in five. That was the most by anyone on either side of the basketball in the period. As a passer, he was locked in, logging three assists. Two of those were to AJ Green, who sunk two huge triples off passes from the guard to help keep the Milwaukee Bucks alive in a tight fourth quarter.
What won't show up on the stat sheet is how well Porter played defense. He took on the challenge of guarding star guard Anthony Edwards and made a noticeable difference late, especially on the final shot of the game. With the Milwaukee Bucks up two, everyone knew Edwards was getting the ball for one last attempt. Dancing on the perimeter, Edwards couldn't shake Porter, and his step-back triple at the horn missed.
Porter finished with 11 points, eight rebounds, five assists and one steal in 21-and-a-half minutes. That's certainly not bad for a player in their second game with the franchise. It wasn't a perfect game for Porter, as he only made four of his nine shots, struggling to find a groove primarily in the second quarter, but he more than made up for it in the end by coming to life late.
Led by Porter's big fourth quarter and crucial clutch bucket, the Milwaukee Bucks secured a 103-101 victory versus the Minnesota Timberwolves to get a needed win heading into the NBA All-Star break.
Doc Rivers will have some decisions to make for the Milwaukee Bucks
As they head into the break, Doc Rivers will have to ponder who his backup point guard will be when Milwaukee returns to action. Ryan Rollins has been the answer for months, but there's no doubt that he's been struggling lately, including in this game, going 2-of-12 from the floor for four points. He still has great potential, but one could certainly argue that Porter has higher upside, especially with the Bucks needing more shot creation after Khris Middleton's trade deadline departure.
Porter could be a jack of all trades off the bench, giving the Milwaukee Bucks needed shot-creation, rebounding and facilitating, as well as some great defense. All of those attributes were on display in this big win over Minnesota, and they could continue to fuel his success moving forward. It will be interesting to see Porter and the rest of the newcomers alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has been dealing with injuries lately.
After this performance, it wouldn't be surprising if Kevin Porter Jr. was one of the first names called off Milwaukee's bench for the rest of the season.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.