Breaking Down Bobby Portis’ Play in Las Vegas Summer League

The Chicago Bulls had their ups and downs just like every other team in the Las Vegas Summer League, but one of their biggest “ups” was the play of Bobby Portis in their six games.

It didn’t take long for the “steal of the first round” (proclaimed by some) to make an impact in the Las Vegas Summer League.

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In the Chicago Bulls‘ 84-71 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on July 11, Bobby Portis scored 23 points on 9-of-14 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds against Karl-Anthony Towns, the 2015 NBA Draft’s top overall selection.

Just like all the other rookies in Vegas, Portis also had his dull moments — a 1-for-10 shooting performance the next night after his breakout opener — but he also showed that energy and versatility that had Bulls management and the new-look coaching staff drooling during the draft process.

Here’s a standard look at Portis by the numbers:

Game	Minutes	Points	Rebounds	Field Goal Percentage
Minnesota	27:26	23	7	64.3%
Toronto	27:20	5	6	10%
Brooklyn	29:10	9	10	40%
Cleveland	28:08	16	10	54%
Toronto	21:12	9	4	27.2%
Phoenix	35:17	25	15	44.4%

Something that can’t measured by statistics: Portis’ play on the glass. A lot of guys make good money in the NBA for their hustle and grind on the offensive and defensive boards, and on Saturday night especially, Portis was all over the place. Even with Cameron Bairstow out with a sore ankle, Portis’ pursuit of rebounds on both ends was relentless, even pulling rebounds away from his own teammates at times.

Here’s an example from early on in the SummerBulls’ victory over Cleveland in the LVSL Tournament. Portis cleans up the Doug McDermott miss by simply following the miss and keeping his eye on the ball. This is the kind of play Portis can bring off the bench on a nightly basis and bring energy to a wide-open Bulls offense.

Along with his relentless rebounding, arguably the biggest takeaway from Portis’ play in Vegas was his three-point shooting. Despite missing all three attempts in the Bulls’ final game in Vegas, Portis came into the Bulls’ meeting with the Suns shooting 55.6 percent from long range.

From a post on Portis shortly after being drafted by the Bulls:

Also: Portis was 14-for-30 (46.7%) from beyond the arc in 2014-15 for Arkansas. He’s not going to win any three-point contests in the near future, but as the ESPN broadcast said in the video above, he’s expanded his range, and with Hoiberg’s direction, Portis could develop into a mini-“stretch-five”.

Portis’ jumper may not look at pretty as some of the sharpshooters around the league, but for a guy his size, his stroke is pretty solid for a 20-year-old.

Check out Portis’ pick-and-pop game, with a slight contest from Minnesota’s Adreian Payne on this three-pointer:

In that big performance against Minnesota, Portis drained a couple treys from the left side of the floor, specifically in the area where he took the shot you just saw above. I think the thing I liked most about Portis shooting from deep is his footwork and his ability to set and square himself at the rim. With a lot of young bigs that shoot from the perimeter, their footwork’s atrocious. It’s not perfect, but Portis has a good-looking stroke already.

Overall, Portis looked great during Chicago’s six games in Vegas. Nobody’s going to look flawless in the LVSL, no matter where they were drafted or how far they fell on draft boards. Portis showed you everything he brings to the table: Energy, versatility on both ends, floor spacing, shot blocking and running the floor.

The big thing for Portis to work out heading into his first training camp with the Bulls is picking each and every brain he can during the process. He has the potential to fill a bigger role than expected with the Bulls this season, and those title expectations from the last season won’t change in a new season. Working with guys such as Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol in the frontcourt will be key for Portis’ development heading into the future.

Next: SummerBulls: LVSL run ends against Phoenix in the quarterfinals

The Chicago Bulls had their ups and downs just like every other team in the Las Vegas Summer League, but one of their biggest “ups” was the play of Bobby Portis in their six games.

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