All summer, Milwaukee Bucks fans wondered who would be the team's starting point guard after the departure of Damian Lillard. Yet, knowing how Doc Rivers likes to keep things close to the chest, he'd likely only reveal it on the day of the first preseason game. Kevin Porter Jr. always felt like the favorite, and he has indeed earned the job, starting in the team's preseason opener against Miami.
Kevin Porter Jr. earns the nod as Bucks starting point guard
The decision to start Porter made plenty of sense. With Lillard out, the Milwaukee Bucks needed one of the point guards to provide a scoring spark and control the offense when Giannis Antetokounmpo needs a breather. Porter showed last season that he could do both of those things, and Rivers wants to see what he can do with a larger opportunity.
Porter took advantage of the increased role in the first half of Milwaukee's opening preseason game against Miami. In just a tick under 15 minutes, the young floor general tallied 10 points, four assists, two rebounds, and one emphatic blocked shot. Porter did everything a player could possibly do to catch the eyes of everyone around him.
What stood out the most from Porter's first half was his efficiency. Only taking twos, he shot 5-of-7 on his shot attempts, and he was about to have another make before Jericho Sims got called for an illegal screen. He attacked with a purpose, and when the good look wasn't there, he dished the ball to tally those four assists without a single turnover.
The blocked shot, which came off a shot from 6-foot-9 Bam Adebayo, was a great display of Porter's overlooked athleticism. Individually, Porter looked solid defensively, hounding his matchups at every single turn. He won't be an All-Defensive player, but if Porter can play solid one-on-one defense and get the occasional block and steal, the Milwaukee Bucks would benefit greatly.
It was just one half, but the potential of Kevin Porter Jr. was on display during every single second of it. The Milwaukee Bucks envision big things from the guard - which is why he's earned a new contract and a starting role - and this is hopefully just the beginning. The next step is seeing how he looks next to Giannis Antetokounmpo, who missed the game as he recovers from COVID-19.
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