3 Bucks who raised their stock in the preseason, 4 who stepped back
By Dalton Sell
Riser - Bobby Portis
Like Pat Connaughton, there was plenty of chatter about the Bucks possibly looking to move on from Bobby Portis this offseason. All of the chatter about how he doesn't fit with this roster seemingly put a chip on his shoulder, as the big man, who is also likely motivated by the fact that he is eligible for a new contract, came out swinging in the preseason.
In three games, Portis totaled averages of 16.3 points, four rebounds and 1.3 assists per game while hitting 75 percent of his shots, including an eye-popping 81.8 percent of his triples. Once everyone is in the lineup, Portis won't have as many scoring opportunities as he did here, but it was welcoming to see that he can still put the ball in the hoop efficiently, especially from the outside.
Faller - Andre Jackson Jr.
It's been a rough few months for Andre Jackson Jr. In the middle of a tough Summer League stretch, where he couldn't get himself going for the Bucks, he suffered a fracture in his finger, sidelining him. Thankfully, the soon-to-be-sophomore was ready in time for the NBA Preseason, but it appeared the young wing was still a bit rusty, as his struggles persisted.
In these four games, Jackson averaged just 1.8 points per game, which was 18th out of 19th on the entire roster. Jackson actually averaged more turnovers than points, tallying two per contest. He did have a positive impact on the glass with 3.3 boards, but that was not enough to prevent his stock from dropping in his 11.7 minutes per game.