Nardone: The summer belongs to Bobby Portis
Bobby Portis came to the Chicago Bulls with some hoopla attached to him. The former Arkansas standout saw his star rise before the 2015 NBA Draft, but he still fell to Chicago when the franchise selected him with the 22nd overall pick. Many thought it was one of the biggest steals of the entire draft.
Then last season happened. A new coach roamed the sidelines for the Bulls. Some of the team’s stars aged in odder ways than Benjamin Button, and Portis was left to figure out the NBA game on the fly.
What inevitably resulted was a mixed bag. Chicago was not as good as a team as many were hoping, and Portis had himself a solid rookie season, but it was of the unspectacular variety. Thanks to the confusion of the season, plus Portis’ minutes having a sporadic flow to them, it has already reached the point where some fans have given up on the idea of the big man being anything more than a ho-hum rotational player.
Portis, who is still only 21 years-old (as a reference, he’s only 11 months older than weird 2016 NBA Draft sensation Malachi Richardson), is hoping to use the season of experience to find more time next season and be an even more dynamic player than he was as a rookie.
Then last season happened. A new coach roamed the sidelines for the Bulls. Some of the team’s stars aged in odder ways than Benjamin Button, and Portis was left to figure out the NBA game on the fly.
What inevitably resulted was a mixed bag. Chicago was not as good as a team as many were hoping, and Portis had himself a solid rookie season, but it was of the unspectacular variety. Thanks to the confusion of the season, plus Portis’ minutes having a sporadic flow to them, it has already reached the point where some fans have given up on the idea of the big man being anything more than a ho-hum rotational player.
Portis, who is still only 21 years-old (as a reference, he’s only 11 months older than weird 2016 NBA Draft sensation Malachi Richardson), is hoping to use the season of experience to find more time next season and be an even more dynamic player than he was as a rookie.
Regardless of what side of the Bobby Portis fence one is on, whether you think he will be awesome or not, the only thing we can do is project. We have some evidence to back up our ideas of him, as his rookie season numbers of 7.0 points and 5.4 rebounds per game on 43 percent shooting from the floor and 31 percent from beyond the arc are just vague enough that we can skew them to make a point in either direction.
As far as what he’s doing since the season has ended, everything has come up roses for the 6’11” stretch-four.
In four Summer League outings, Portis has been playing in a way that lends credence to the idea that he can be a truly special offensive player. Thanks in large part to the Summer League being a bit slower than the NBA, he is averaging 15.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1.0 block per game.
Hooray, counting stats — basically.
As importantly as his baseline production is how he is going about doing so. Not only is he shooting an efficient 55 percent from the floor, but he’s opening up his mid-range game in ways Fred Hoiberg and crew were desperately hoping he would last season.
More importantly, as his mid-range game is somewhat known, Portis has used the Summer League to go to the post without any worries.
It is a part of the Summer League experience that he knew would be important to the growth of his game.
“I’ve always been an inside/outside player,” Portis recently said. “Last year not so much. I shied away, but it was hard for me to post up. There were stronger guys than me, older and bigger physically. But now I feel like I’ve been in the weight room a lot and I feel I can reposition myself on the block.”
As far as what he’s doing since the season has ended, everything has come up roses for the 6’11” stretch-four.
In four Summer League outings, Portis has been playing in a way that lends credence to the idea that he can be a truly special offensive player. Thanks in large part to the Summer League being a bit slower than the NBA, he is averaging 15.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1.0 block per game.
Hooray, counting stats — basically.
As importantly as his baseline production is how he is going about doing so. Not only is he shooting an efficient 55 percent from the floor, but he’s opening up his mid-range game in ways Fred Hoiberg and crew were desperately hoping he would last season.
More importantly, as his mid-range game is somewhat known, Portis has used the Summer League to go to the post without any worries.
It is a part of the Summer League experience that he knew would be important to the growth of his game.
“I’ve always been an inside/outside player,” Portis recently said. “Last year not so much. I shied away, but it was hard for me to post up. There were stronger guys than me, older and bigger physically. But now I feel like I’ve been in the weight room a lot and I feel I can reposition myself on the block.”
Furthermore–and this could be attributed to the year of experience under his belt–his feel for the Summer League game is so vastly superior to most other power forwards participating in Las Vegas that if there was a draft to be held today, one in which scouts had zero content outside of the games currently being played, Portis would be one of the very top picks.
Portis is still loaded with potential. Far too many people treated what they saw out of him in a Bulls uniform last season as if that is the type of player he will be for the rest of his career. While he is unlikely to be THIS kind of productive during his second season in the league, this Summer League version of Portis is the version of the big that is far more likely to resemble the finished product.
After all, a mid-range jumper is still a mid-range jumper. It doesn’t matter what level it is taken at. What does, though, is how much space is between Portis and the man defend him while attempting that mid-range game.
The good thing here, at least through the evidence provided through the Summer League, is that Portis has done a more than admirable job working on his post-up game, too — making him slightly more dynamic of an offensive player, which should keep defenders a bit more honest.
As it always is with these kinds of posts, a caveat needs to be added: The Summer League isn’t the end all-be all as far as scouting players is concerned. Simply because a one-year veteran looks good against a bunch of guys, most of them who will not be in the NBA next season, doesn’t mean he has figured it out or that he will be an eater-of-worlds.
It is more like a small sign we can use that Portis has continued to work at his game and is still developing.
Anyway, the Bulls play again on Saturday. If Chicago doesn’t pull Portis from the Summer League, it is well worth a fan’s time to see this version of him trot about the hardwood during these warm months. Why? Because it is the Bobby Portis Chicago fans are hoping comes to play for them next season.
Portis is still loaded with potential. Far too many people treated what they saw out of him in a Bulls uniform last season as if that is the type of player he will be for the rest of his career. While he is unlikely to be THIS kind of productive during his second season in the league, this Summer League version of Portis is the version of the big that is far more likely to resemble the finished product.
After all, a mid-range jumper is still a mid-range jumper. It doesn’t matter what level it is taken at. What does, though, is how much space is between Portis and the man defend him while attempting that mid-range game.
The good thing here, at least through the evidence provided through the Summer League, is that Portis has done a more than admirable job working on his post-up game, too — making him slightly more dynamic of an offensive player, which should keep defenders a bit more honest.
As it always is with these kinds of posts, a caveat needs to be added: The Summer League isn’t the end all-be all as far as scouting players is concerned. Simply because a one-year veteran looks good against a bunch of guys, most of them who will not be in the NBA next season, doesn’t mean he has figured it out or that he will be an eater-of-worlds.
It is more like a small sign we can use that Portis has continued to work at his game and is still developing.
Anyway, the Bulls play again on Saturday. If Chicago doesn’t pull Portis from the Summer League, it is well worth a fan’s time to see this version of him trot about the hardwood during these warm months. Why? Because it is the Bobby Portis Chicago fans are hoping comes to play for them next season.
إبراهيم زكاغ
مدون وأحب القراءة وكل جديد التكنولوجيا والإنترنت . إنشاء فولفولي جاء من الرغبة في مشاركة تجربتي المتواضعة ولأكون مساهما ولو بالقليل في محتوى الإنترنت.
Articles
0 commentaires:
Enregistrer un commentaire