After winning three straight games coming out of the All-Star break, the Milwaukee Bucks came back down to earth on Tuesday night, losing to the Houston Rockets 100-97.
One of the most disappointing performers during the loss was the newly acquired Kevin Porter Jr. The 24-year-old guard finished the game with four points on 2/7 shooting from the field and four turnovers in 11 minutes of action.
While this was easily KPJ's worst game as a Buck, his tenure in Milwaukee hasn't been too fruitful, even when the team was winning. The Bucks lost Porter's minutes in four of the six games he played in. Per Cleaning The Glass, the Bucks are 5.7 points per 100 possessions worse with him on the floor than without him. The offense, with an offensive rating of 99.0, is especially bad in those minutes.
The Bucks traded for Porter at the deadline in exchange for MarJon Beauchamp. After starting the season with the Clippers, Porter averaged 9.3 points and 3.2 assists per game on disastrous 42.3/24.5/64.5 shooting splits in LA. While he shot the ball better so far in Milwaukee, he hasn't impacted winning in a positive way.
Porter's long track record of off-court trouble, coupled with his poor on-court performance, makes him a questionable fit in Milwaukee. It made little sense for the Bucks to acquire him at the trade deadline, and it doesn't look like he will prove doubters wrong.
Milwaukee wants to inject more ballhandling and playmaking into its rotation. That is why head coach Doc Rivers has been giving him minutes. Just as he wore out his welcome in his previous NBA stops, it's only a matter of time before KPJ does the same with the Bucks.