One half. That's all it took for the Bobby Portis concerns to materialize exactly as predicted. Milwaukee's beloved energy guy looked completely out of sync with what this team is trying to do.
Portis started 1-of-5 from the field in the season opener against Washington, but the shooting struggles barely scratch the surface of the real issue. He just looked slow compared to everyone else.
While the rest of Milwaukee's roster was flying in transition and whipping the ball around, Portis was posting up in isolation and settling for contested midrange fadeaways out of the post.
Bobby Portis' style clashes with the rest of the team, and it's a problem
The fit problems aren't new, of course.
This writer just talked about how Portis' old-school game clashed with the athletic, pace-pushing identity Milwaukee is building through four preseason games. But actually seeing it play out in real time in a regular season game that actually matters just hits different. When Ryan Rollins is sprinting the floor and making the extra pass while Portis' calling for post touches, the disconnect becomes painfully obvious.
Once upon a time, Portis' stylistic contrast offered a bit of dynamism to a Bucks offense where practically everyone else was as slow as he was. But those days are over now, and it's time to evolve.
The problem is that it's more glaring than ever without the lumbering Brook Lopez on the team. Watch how the offense flows when Portis sits versus when he's out there grinding possessions to a halt. The ball movement dies. The pace slows. Suddenly, Milwaukee looks nothing like the revamped squad trying to run teams out of the gym.
Bobby Portis' heart is never in question; that much is clear. When you play like he does, the effort and energy will always remain elite. But effort without alignment doesn't win championships. He's playing 2015 basketball on a 2025 roster, and every possession exposes that mismatch more clearly.
This is a league of youth now. Depth, speed, and most importantly, cohesiveness will always trump talent. Gone are the days of stacking together big names and hoping they figure it out together. And the Bucks seem to have finally understood that for the most part. It's why a guy like Ryan Rollins, who is more aligned with what the system is going for, is on the verge of taking Portis' sixth man role.
Doc Rivers has already made his marching orders clear: buy into the system, or you don't win games. While Portis' limitations don't necessarily mean he hasn't bought in, they do mean that Rivers has a few decisions to make. Does he stick with Bobby Portis and hope the shooting percentage regresses to the mean? Or does he pivot to younger, more athletic options like Jericho Sims, who actually fit the system?
Hopefully this is just opening night jitters and Bobby finds his rhythm. But if this is what the season looks like, with Portis struggling to mesh with Milwaukee's new identity, then Rivers can't afford to wait long before making adjustments.
At this point, the Bucks don't have time for nostalgia. Giannis' window demands maximizing every rotation minute, even if that means reducing Portis' role significantly.
One half doesn't define a season. But it can confirm what everyone was already worried about.