Kevin Porter Jr. was not at his best Thursday night against the Raptors. While he did give the Bucks 22 points, he went an inefficient 7-18 from the field. He dished out 13 assists, but he also committed seven turnovers, including five in the first half. Although that may come off as a day in the ball-hogging office, Bucks coach Doc Rivers made clear he didn’t see it that way.
Porter’s purpose not to blame for inefficient night
“I thought he was trying [to win] the game for us,” Rivers said after the Bucks’ 111-105 loss, dropping them to 11-17 overall. “Nothing Scoot does is selfish … These guys are trying. They want to win, but the problem is, by doing that, they did too much. I thought Scoot tried to do too much and that’s what created some of the turnovers.”
Simply put, the Bucks need Porter to lead the offense with Giannis Antetokounmpo hurt and precious little shot creation elsewhere on the roster (side note: benching Ryan Rollins isn’t the move, Doc.) Porter just has to be more consistent. It’s not that Porter is selfish – to the contrary, he might be too pass-happy at times – he just has to be more precise. Less reckless.
Dec 6, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. (7) dribbles defended by Detroit Pistons forward Isaiah Stewart (28) in the first half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
He may see a possible pass that, if he could pull it off, would give the Bucks an open three or layup. But if he has to leave his feet to do so, pushing the ball toward defenders in the passing lane, Porter has to settle for a higher-percentage play. The Bucks want to push the pace, but smartly. Sometimes it’s okay to just. slow. down.
“I thought he got a little frustrated with the officiating and that took him out for a little bit as well,” Rivers said of Porter’s performance versus Toronto. It did not help the Bucks that, besides Giannis, Kyle Kuzma was also sidelined due to illness.
“When we have guys out, we have no margins for error. And so right now, we’re not playing with them. In the first half, we actually won in the kind of margin game. But in the second half, they won it in a big way and that was the difference in the game.”
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