Toronto Raptors vs Chicago Bulls - Full Game Highlights | December 28, 2015 | NBA 2015-16 Season
Theres been a lot of chatter lately about the talent in this years rookie class, but few have talked about Chicago Bulls forward Bobby Portis.
Thatsbecause hes only played in seven games for the Bulls so far this season because of the teams established depth in the frontcourt, but the rookie has looked the part when hes found time on the floor.
From setting screens to moving in the halfcourt without the ball to what he does when he has the ball in his hands, Portis is smart and makes the right play more often than not thanks to his varying skill set.
Standing at 6-foot-11, Portis has the size and length making hima factor on both ends of the floor. In the post Portis has a few moves down low thatmake him bothersome on the block but his strength is in stepping outside and knocking down a jumper from 15 feet and out.
Portis even has a three-point shot, connecting on 42.9 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc in his small sample size of play.
That wasnt a part of his game that was really on display in college, but most coaches these days such as Kentuckys John Calipari believe in building a big mans game from the inside out. Its not that a jump shot is devaluedin college but its important for a player with great size to understand how to get easy buckets in the post.
With that being said every player is different and some existto stretch the defense and knock down outside shots. Portis has the strength and physicality to play inside with the big boys so its not like he had to develop his mental and physical aspects of being a post player like Karl-Anthony Towns.
Bigs who are able to play inside and out as well as rebound arent common. Most stretch forwards live on the perimeter and thats it. They dont have the bodies or arent conditioned to thrive down low and be a presence on both ends of the floor.
Portis is different because he knows how to use his length to alter shots on defense and finish inside on offense. He hasnt been a shot blocker in the NBA yet, but that could change as he becomes more accustom to playing defense in the league.
I most enjoyed watching Portis on Christmas when the Bulls went up against the Oklahoma City Thunder. OKC has a variety of great post players including the swat master Serge Ibaka and the offensive force who is Enes Kanter. Portis went up against the both of them and waseffective.
He didnt really make any mistakes against a proven title contender. He didnt force shots, rebounded against proven post players and did the little things to help the offense flow like move the ball where it hadto go and set a timely pick to get a man free from the defense.
Its tough to explain if you dont watch a ton of basketball, but some guys just pass the eye test so well that you know theyre going to make an impact regardless of what their numbers say about them now (7.6 points and 3.9 rebounds in 13.4 minutes per game). Portis has that kind of potential and hes getting more playing time because of it.
Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg hasnt shown negativity towards his young forward and has praised him for his efforts so far this season, particularly against the Thunder.
Hes not afraid of the moment thats for sure, Hoiberg told CSN Chicago. To be 20 years old and go out there, big minutes against Oklahoma City in a game on Christmas Day on ABC, it shows you what the kids makeup is all about. The kids got no concern, just thrives and has all kinds of confidence. You love to see that. Hes not gonna back down from anybody.
Even though there are enough guys in front of him on the depth chart, Portis isnt going anywhere. There have been enough rumors of late that Joakim Noah or Taj Gibson could be traded to make room for more Portis minutes, and I dont have a problem with those offers being thrown around. Both Noah and Gibson have been important pieces in the Bulls prior success, but this is turning into a different team focused more on ball movement and three-point shooting under Hoiberg.
Noah and Gibson cant shoot from three-point range. Gibson has a nice mid-range shot but both are more comfortable operating on the block as opposed to on the perimeter. Portis can produce from all areas of the floor making him the more valuable player in coming years.
If he can turn into a rim protector and be a better factor on the defensive end, Portis has a future as a star in the NBA. Chicago fans: beexcited for his future and what hes going to bring to the Bulls organization in time.
Source: http://hoopshabit.com/2015/12/30/chicago-bulls-bobby-portis-deserves-playing-time-2/
No comments:
Post a Comment