In five-plus seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, Bobby Portis has been a reliable scorer, rebounder, and floor spacer off the bench. He has his flaws defensively, but the Bucks have been happy to live with them due to his production on offense.
Through eight games this season, however, Portis is not contributing positively on either end of the floor. He isn’t converting shots near the basket. His shortcomings on defense are as glaring as ever. The Bucks know these are issues with him, but they have stuck out like a sore thumb. The real kicker is that he hasn’t been efficient from the field to compensate, shooting just 39.7% overall and 34.5% from distance. This isn’t the BP Bucks fans are used to.
Portis has not been good at what he is supposed to do well – getting buckets
So far this season Portis is averaging 8.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 0.2 steals plus blocks per game. Even the defensive rebounding, one of his few redeeming qualities on that end, is down. Doc Rivers has only played him 19.4 minutes per contest, a career low for Portis in Milwaukee. Tuesday in Toronto, he went just 1-8 from the field for two points.
Nov 1, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis (9) takes a shot against Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis (23) in the second quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
His struggles have pushed a larger issue to the surface. Portis is a questionable fit on a roster that prioritizes defense and a high proportion of 3-point attempts. He has the range, but instead of jacking up threes he takes too many mid-range shots for anyone’s liking.
Indeed he is shooting just 43.2% on twos overall, which equates to a measly 0.86 points per attempt. He is shooting just 50.7% on shots under 10 feet. Not good. Portis has never been elite at scoring near the rim, but in recent years he has at least been around or above 60%.
Even his 3-point shooting has been subpar. Already last season his efficiency dipped from 40.7% in 2023-24 to 36.5%. In eight games this year, he isn’t going in the right direction.
Mar 4, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis (9) takes a shot against Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac (40) in the fourth quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
That Bucks can’t have a poor-shooting Portis on the floor alongside his problems on defense. He simply isn’t physical enough or quick enough on his feet to match up well with other scoring bigs.
The net negative impact of having Portis on the floor is coming through in ugly fashion. Both his -2 net rating and -9.5 on-off differential would be the worst of his Bucks career. Tellingly, his on-off rating is -4.9 on the offensive end. That just isn’t going to work.
Sure, he is likely due for some positive shooting regression, but it’s not going to swing him into the green if he still attempting low-percentage fadeaways, failing to convert on lay-ins and floaters, and being a liability on defense. It’s not hyperbole to say that he had better figure it out soon or he could be a candidate to move at the 2026 trade deadline.
Mar 10, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis (9) posts up against Los Angeles Clippers center Daniel Theis (10) during the third quarter at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
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