MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – APRIL 19: Bobby Portis #9 of the Milwaukee Bucks reacts after a basket … [+] against the Miami Heat during the first half of Game Two of the Eastern Conference First Round Playoffs at Fiserv Forum on April 19, 2023 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Getty ImagesThe Milwaukee Bucks tipped-off a new era on Sunday with a preseason game against the Chicago Bulls. Although it was your typical sloppy and vanilla exhibition contest, there were several intriguing developments, including the unveiling of point guard Bobby Portis.
The new man in charge for the Bucks, head coach Adrian Griffin, has set a clear directive: they’re going to pick up the pace and prioritize transition plays. It’s an approach that promises excitement and challenges.
In their initial preseason matchup, though, things were a little different. The team was without its main quartet of ball-handlers—Damian Lillard, Cam Payne, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Khris Middleton. As a result, it was Portis who sometimes took up the mantle of bringing the ball up the court and directing the offense.
Under Mike Budenholzer, Portis was typically asked to run the floor without the rock in his hands and make himself available in transition. It appears his playmaking responsibilities have increased in the new era.
We saw the first glimpse of this just a few minutes into the game. Portis snagged a rebound and immediately turned up court with bad intentions. As he dribbled across halfcourt, three Bucks were staggered to his right and Malik Beasley was on his left. Beasley veered into Portis’s defender, forcing some miscommunication on the Bulls’ part as the new Bucks’ point guard turned the corner and finished the layup in traffic.
This was a great example of the early offense Griffin wants Milwaukee to create. They got a point-blank look just eight seconds into the shot clock and against a scrambling defense.
Before the Bucks signed Payne last week, questions swirled about who would handle the ball for them. Although Lillard, Antetokounmpo and Middleton are capable of carrying heavy loads, they certainly needed at least one more ball-handler. That question was mostly answered with the free agent acquisition of Payne, but it appears Griffin might give all of the Bucks (or at least, most of them) more leeway to bring the ball up the floor following a defensive rebound and look for easy buckets early in the clock.
Portis got another chance to do just that four minutes into the second quarter. Brook Lopez skied for a rebound following a missed shot from DeMar DeRozan and tossed it to Portis who immediately took off trying to inflict damage on the Bulls.
With Chicago still getting settled, Portis went to that same left wing with Beasley, but went into a dribble handoff this time around. Chicago handled it better, switching defenders and putting Zach LaVine on Portis. However, that’s exactly what the fan-favorite wanted, as he posted up, received the pass and Beasley cleared out of the space. It wasn’t long before Portis backed down his defender, spun baseline and hit a nifty jumper over a leaping LaVine, this time a whopping 10 seconds into the shot clock.
On both occasions, Milwaukee did a tremendous job getting up the floor quickly and running their secondary break against an unexpecting defense.
This is a new role for Portis who has mostly played off the ball during his time in Milwaukee. When he did have the rock in his hands, it was closer to the post or in a catch-and-shoot scenario. He was rarely asked to create offense for his teammates, especially by initiating.
That means there will be growing pains, as what happened just a couple minutes later in the second quarter. Lopez again fed Portis following a defensive rebound. As he dribbled the ball up the right side, he lost control and had to dive on the floor as it scooted out of bounds.
For now, Milwaukee will live with these types of possession, especially in exhibition games, as they work out the kinks. It’s the type of learning experience the entire team is undertaking under a new offensive and defensive scheme.
The Bucks‘ first preseason game against the Bulls was akin to catching a glimpse of the tip of an iceberg in a vast ocean. While they didn’t unveil their full arsenal of strategies in this meaningless contest, it was as if we saw a hummock rising above the surface, providing a tantalizing hint of what lies beneath for the upcoming season. Will there be more point guard Bobby in store? Stay tuned to find out.