Milwaukee Bucks: 3 Adjustments to Win Game Four

Adjustment 2: More Bobby Portis Minutes

At first glance, it doesn’t seem like Portis has done a ton for the Milwaukee Bucks in this series. It may also seem counterintuitive to play a bench player more after commending coach Bud for finally playing the starters more, but there’s a method to the madness here.

Brook Lopez was a liability in game three. Don’t let his six blocks fool you; he got eaten up by the pick and roll, letting 6’4″ Bruce Brown have a career night as the roll man and dropping back, giving Kevin Durant open jumpers, which almost lost them the game down the stretch. People can complain about Brook running drop coverage, but even when he steps up on a Durant ball screen, he just isn’t quick enough to stay with him long enough for P.J. Tucker or whoever is guarding him to recover. This is where Bobby Portis is a better option.

Now, I understand that playing Bobby Portis more minutes for his defense seems like a complete contradiction, but hear me out. Portis is tall enough to step up on Durant and not give him open looks while being quick enough to stick with him, at least temporarily, while his primary defender works to get back in front of him. He did it well a couple of times in game three, and while Durant can’t be completely stopped if he’s locked in, getting Portis up in his face and making all of his shots uncomfortable is a great way to contain him.