It was the second night of a back-to-back, but that's no excuse for what the Milwaukee Bucks put on display in their latest loss. The Toronto Raptors were in complete control from start to finish as they cruised past the Bucks, who fell to 5-3 on the year. Let's break down three immediate observations from Milwaukee's 128-100 loss.
Ryan Rollins looked like a different player (not complimentary)
Lately, Rollins had been lighting the world on fire, but that wasn't the case in Toronto. The point guard looked human, finishing with 11 points on 5-of-13 shooting. Even without mentioning the three fouls and two turnovers, it was clear that Rollins was uncomfortable. The Raptors clearly read the scouting report and had a plan to slow down Rollins. It worked. Really, it couldn't have gone better.
Between this and the seven turnovers in the previous game, growing pains are starting to take shape for Rollins. He must overcome them as he breaks out.
AJ Green can't shake the foul trouble
The biggest concern with starting AJ Green and Gary Trent Jr. was that one of them would get into foul trouble due to having to guard bigger players. So far, that player has been Green. Foul problems have been a recurring issue this season, and that carried over into this one, where he logged four of them. That limited him to just a tick under 17 minutes. Milwaukee needs more than that from Green.
Bobby Portis isn't doing himself any favors
It's been crystal clear from the jump that Bobby Portis doesn't fit in well with this version of the Bucks. While they want to play fast and versatile on both ends by swinging the rock and switching matchups on defense, Portis can often be seen settling for poor shots and failing to make any impact at all on the defensive side of the ball. All of it was on display against the Raptors.
In 20 minutes, Portis finished the game with two points on an abysmal 1-of-8 shooting. He had many great looks, even a few wide-open ones, but he failed to capitalize. The sweet-scoring Portis used to provide has been M.I.A. all season long, but it was particularly frustrating here. Meanwhile, Raptors players often got by Portis for good looks inside. It was a horrific two-way showing.
If this putrid Portis pattern continues, his minutes will keep shrinking.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.