The Bucks can finally capitalize on Kevin Porter Jr.'s most underrated skill in 2026-27

For a litany of reasons, Kevin Porter Jr.'s journey through the NBA has not been without its challenges, but Milwaukee has offered him the first real opportunity to put that behind him and focus on basketball since his rookie year. And in turn, he delivered for the Bucks as a high-leverage shot creator and playmaker on both sides of the floor. Looking back, it's hard to imagine what the Bucks would've done in the 2025-26 NBA season without him as one of their starting guards.

While we knew Porter could be a valuable bucket-getter and stat-sheet stuffer, the thing that set him apart in 2026 was his high-impact perimeter defense. Porter led all players who appeared in at least 30 games with 2.2 steals per game while ranking near the top of the league in deflections as well. His quick hands, long reach, and relentless nature shined, but that's not where the story stopped.

As evidenced by Basketball University below, Porter's point-of-attack defense was considerable for a Bucks team that wasn't ultimately able to functionalize it in a way that translated to winning. That speaks to his larger impact on that side of the floor, where Porter was one of four players in the league who were able to stop possessions and cause deflections at a high rate.

Because of the chaotic nature of the season, Milwaukee wasn't able to figure out how to harness this ability, but with Taylor Jenkins taking over, Kevin Porter Jr. could find real, tangible success on defense next year and take a major step in his career.

Kevin Porter Jr. could be in line for a role change with the Milwaukee Bucks, but unlocking his defense is the key to the rest of his career.

There are a lot of cooks in the kitchen of the Bucks' guard room next year, and the role might not be as loosely defined as Kevin Porter Jr. experienced in a year and a half under Doc Rivers. In fact, depending on how training camp and pre-season play out, there's a good chance that Porter will not even start for the Bucks in the 2026-27 season.

With that said, Porter will probably learn how to play a role in Taylor Jenkins' system, and formalizing his role with a defensive focus might be the best way for Jenkins to not only reset the tone in Milwaukee but also build a successful and reliable defense.

If Porter operates as the Bucks' lead guard off the bench — which certainly could be challenged by Brayden Burries and/or Kasparas Jakučionis, but not without a fair competition — he might be asked to focus more on providing a reliable defensive guard presence next to Tyler Herro than the volume-heavy, pounding-the-rock type of role he had last year for the Bucks.

However, that should pay off for Porter too, proving to the basketball world that he can fit within the confines of a role and contribute to winning basketball in a way we haven't seen yet from the 26-year-old combo guard. And in a contract year, that could make all the difference in the world.

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