The 2018 NBA Manifesto
Bobby Portis
PF – 6’11, 248lbs - 23 years old – 3 years of experience
Starting the year off with a bang, right into his team mate's face, Portis threw away the momentum he gained at the end of last season with a suspension to open this one. That plus the obvious deficiencies in his game, particularly defensively, made the rest of the season one in which he really needed to prove himself.
To be fair to Portis, he did. He counteracts his limited defensive ability (not especially strong, not especially long, not a shot-blocker whatsoever, not laterally very fast on the perimeter and unaware on how to compensate for that with positioning and footwork) with plenty of offence. He rarely passes and often shoots, yet this aggressiveness gives him a clearly defined purpose and impact on the court - to come in and outscore the opposition. Helpful to have on a team that could so rarely do that.
Having added three-point range to a very good mid-range pick-and-pop jumper and decent hook shots down low, Portis has become a versatile offensive weapon who scores from all areas, even the inefficient ones. Smooth and skilled, he gets baskets when he comes in, pretty much every time.
Even if the presence of Lauri Markkanen ahead of him at the power forward position, how badly the two pair up, his inability to regularly play centre given his lack of rim protection and how limited his defensive impact is all combine to limit him to a long term role as a sixth man, that is OK. As long as he is willing to accept that. Which he probably isn't.
Player Plan: One year of rookie scale salary remaining. Extension eligible but does not seem likely to take it considering his role on the bench. If he wants to prove he deserves more, go for it, but the main thing seems to be getting him to accept a bench role. Or to accept defensive responsibilities. Or both, ideally.
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PF – 6’11, 248lbs - 23 years old – 3 years of experience
Starting the year off with a bang, right into his team mate's face, Portis threw away the momentum he gained at the end of last season with a suspension to open this one. That plus the obvious deficiencies in his game, particularly defensively, made the rest of the season one in which he really needed to prove himself.
To be fair to Portis, he did. He counteracts his limited defensive ability (not especially strong, not especially long, not a shot-blocker whatsoever, not laterally very fast on the perimeter and unaware on how to compensate for that with positioning and footwork) with plenty of offence. He rarely passes and often shoots, yet this aggressiveness gives him a clearly defined purpose and impact on the court - to come in and outscore the opposition. Helpful to have on a team that could so rarely do that.
Having added three-point range to a very good mid-range pick-and-pop jumper and decent hook shots down low, Portis has become a versatile offensive weapon who scores from all areas, even the inefficient ones. Smooth and skilled, he gets baskets when he comes in, pretty much every time.
Even if the presence of Lauri Markkanen ahead of him at the power forward position, how badly the two pair up, his inability to regularly play centre given his lack of rim protection and how limited his defensive impact is all combine to limit him to a long term role as a sixth man, that is OK. As long as he is willing to accept that. Which he probably isn't.
Player Plan: One year of rookie scale salary remaining. Extension eligible but does not seem likely to take it considering his role on the bench. If he wants to prove he deserves more, go for it, but the main thing seems to be getting him to accept a bench role. Or to accept defensive responsibilities. Or both, ideally.
