With the NBA season nearing, many Milwaukee Bucks fans have already penciled in Kevin Porter Jr. as the team's starting point guard. While it's a valid proposition, it's anything but set in stone. In fact, many would argue that Porter is better suited to play as a sixth man off the bench. Numbers from his end of the season stretch with the Bucks provide that claim with some validity.
Doc Rivers could shake up his rotation with Porter's role
There are strong arguments for Porter to both come off the bench and start. Truly, no matter where he begins games, he should be playing big minutes anyway. Yet, one particular string of games last season highlighted how impactful a piece he can be when he's a member of the second unit rather than a starter.
In seven games off the bench at the end of the regular season, everything clicked for Kevin Porter Jr. He averaged 18 points, 5.3 assists, five rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game while hitting 56.9 percent of his field goals, including 40 percent from behind the long line. He was nothing short of a two-way difference-maker, as the Milwaukee Bucks went 6-1 in those games.
Would a bench role suit Porter again this year? Staggering his minutes with Giannis Antetokounmpo would make some sense. With the Greek Freak set to shoulder significant offensive responsibility, it could force Porter to play more off-ball, where he is less impactful. If he's staggered with Giannis, he can do more creating for himself and keep the offense afloat like he did in this stretch of games.
If there's anyone who could take a bucket-getter who'd start on many teams and have them be one of the best sixth men in the NBA, it's Doc Rivers. Of course, he coached both Jamal Crawford and Lou Williams for years, and they were constantly dueling for Sixth Man of the Year honors. Rivers could aim to mold Porter into his next Williams or Crawford.
While they both came off the bench on a nightly basis, they often logged nearly 30 minutes per game, beefing up their stats mightily. Rivers could look to set the tone with more of a defense-first player in Ryan Rollins or a pure point guard in Cole Anthony and then bring Porter off the bench to keep things flowing smoothly or to provide a spark.
There's no telling what direction Doc Rivers will go in. Right now, there's no clear answer as to who will start at point guard for Milwaukee.
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