Kevin Porter Jr. has been a steal for the Milwaukee Bucks from the moment it was announced they were acquiring him via trade.
In five games with the Bucks thus far, Porter has averaged 9.8 points, three rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.6 steals while shooting 55.9 percent from the floor. He's been essential off the bench, providing the Bucks a little bit of everything. The scoring has been particularly welcoming as the second unit aims to stay afloat with Bobby Portis suspended.
However, despite consistently showing that he can change the flow of games for the better in such a small timeframe, Porter has only averaged 16.8 minutes per contest. That may need to change as the Milwaukee Bucks look to make a run down the stretch and into the NBA Playoffs.
The Milwaukee Bucks need to increase newcomer's nightly workload
Looking at Doc Rivers' minutes distribution following the NBA All-Star break, there are clear areas where Porter could squeeze in a few more minutes.
For one, AJ Green is currently averaging 32.5 minutes post-break, the third-most on the entire team. Although he's a fine player, there's no denying that Green has been stuck in the mud lately, shooting a measly 32.7 percent from deep over his last 15 games. Considering that's his greatest attribute, the guard needs to bump that percentage up a few ticks if he wants to play hefty minutes nightly.
Green can certainly help this team, but it would be tough to argue he should be playing 32.5 minutes nightly, especially with just how poorly he's been shooting the long ball.
Another player who could take on a lesser role is Taurean Prince, who's averaging 25.3 minutes since the Milwaukee Bucks returned to action. There is a place for Prince in the rotation, but it feels like his minutes should be reduced when Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kyle Kuzma are on the floor, as there is plenty of length between those two already. That also calls on Prince to guard more guards, which he has struggled to do at times this season.
Could Kevin Porter Jr. siphon about five minutes from Green and a handful from Prince? Undoubtedly. He should absolutely remain a part of the second unit rather than being inserted into the first lineup, as the Milwaukee Bucks need that bench spark, but he should see a bump in minutes. His scoring, passing, shooting, defense and transition play could change everything for Milwaukee.
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