Whether he's a starter or coming off the bench, Kevin Porter Jr. is destined to take on a larger role for the Milwaukee Bucks next season. His main duty will be scoring the basketball, alleviating some of the workload off Giannis Antetokounmpo's shoulders. To be his best, Porter must be more efficient at the hoop. It seems like a simple request, but last year's numbers show it held him back.
Porter needs to lock in when driving to the hoop
After coming to the Milwaukee Bucks at last year's NBA Trade Deadline, Porter struggled to convert at the hoop. He shot just 26-of-64 on his layup attempts, a subpar 40.6 percent. Looking closer, he went 34-of-60 on his shot attempts in the restricted area specifically. At 56.7 percent, Porter owned the fifth-worst percentage in the entire NBA in that department after February 10. Not great.
Porter does have a little bit of the Kyle Kuzma gene in him in the sense that there are times when he drives to the hoop without a plan and is then indecisive when he gets there. It often results in either a heavily contested shot attempt or a turnover. It's certainly an area of his game he must look to clean up with the Milwaukee Bucks as he braces for his first full season with the team.
While his numbers were poor in Milwaukee, there is reason to believe this was just a blip. Prior to the trade to Milwaukee last season, Porter went 41-of-80 (51.3 percent) on layups. His struggles in the restricted area were virtually nonexistent, as he shot 53-of-80 (66.3 percent). In two prior seasons, he connected on over 50 percent of layups, while finishing just under in the others. He can do it.
Part of his success will depend on thriving with non-shooters on the court. He spent plenty of time sharing the floor with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kyle Kuzma, and Jericho Sims last season, clogging the lane at times and making it harder to find space inside. If he plays a starting role, which many are under the impression he will, he must find a way to coexist with Giannis particularly.
One could argue Porter's scoring is the Milwaukee Bucks' biggest X-factor next season. With no clear second option on the roster, someone has to provide Giannis with support offensively, and Porter has the ability to do so. If he can start making these layups with regularity while also building off of the efficiency he showed with his jumper last season, he can make doubters eat their words.
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