Bobby Portis has been one of the NBA's best sixth men since he joined the Milwaukee Bucks. Despite consecutive top-three finishes in the Sixth Man of the Year vote over the last two seasons, the center was left out of the top five by ESPN's Summer Forecast panel vote for next season's award. That feels flat-out wrong. It's almost as if they've forgotten about his efforts over the last few years.
The Bobby Portis/Milwaukee Bucks disrespect is here
In order, ESPN's poll ranked these five as next season's finalists: Alex Caruso (OKC), Naz Reid (Minnesota), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Atlanta), Payton Pritchard (Boston), Ty Jerome (Memphis). There's no doubt that all five will have a case, but Bobby Portis isn't going anywhere. He's been a crucial piece of Milwaukee's bench for years, and that should only continue next season.
What makes this all the more puzzling is that there was a legitimate argument that Portis should have won over Reid last year. Reid averaged 14.2 points, six rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 27.5 minutes per game, while Portis put up 13.9 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 25.4 minutes per game. Portis' 25 game suspension threw a wrench in his case, but the numbers were very comparable.
There wasn't a substantial gap between the two, but suddenly, he's simply vanished from the conversation.
Portis' role in Milwaukee next year might be larger than ever before. With no Damian Lillard, there is no longer a clear-cut second scoring option behind Giannis Antetokounmpo. While Portis likely won't be that coming off the bench, there's a good chance he will see an increase in touches. Milwaukee will need the points, and Portis is one of the handful of players who can create shots in a hurry.
It wouldn't be surprising if Doc Rivers uses him similarly to Lou Williams or Jamal Crawford, two players he's coached. Both players were staples in the Sixth Man of the Year conversation for years because, even though they were reserves, Rivers gave them near-starter minutes. The same could go for Portis this season, giving him a chance to earn extended action and increased production.
That would be his best bet to silence the naysayers.
This isn't the first bit of disrespect the Milwaukee Bucks have faced this offseason, and it won't be the last of it either. ESPN, in a different poll, has already predicted that the Bucks will have the largest drop-off in the entire NBA this season. Everyone is writing Milwaukee off, and all they can do is use it as fuel in an effort to shock the world.
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