The Chicago Bulls season is quickly approaching and now is the time to start learning about their roster. The only new addition to the Bulls this year is the 22nd overall pick out of Arkansas, Bobby Portis, and that’s who the next Chicago Bulls profile is on.
Bobby Portis was a star at Arkansas and Chicago is hoping that the skills he showed last season transfers to the NBA. Whether Portis gets minutes early in the season or if he sits on the bench and learns from watching, Portis will be a factor in the future.
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Arkansas Career: 70 GP, 28.5 MPG, 15.0 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 1.5 BPG, 1.1 SPG, 52.6 FG%
Bobby Portis wasn’t talked about a lot last season because he was overshadowed by the possibility of Kentucky going undefeated. Portis still put together a remarkable season, one in which ended in him winning the SEC Player of the Year award. He was able to out perform top 10 picks Karl-Anthony Towns and Willie Cauley-Stein on his way to winning the award. Arkansas was easily the second best team in the SEC last year and while they also had Michael Qualls they would have been an average team without Portis.
He was second in the SEC in points per game (17.5), fourth in rebounds per game (8.6) and sixth in blocks per game (1.4). Portis did a little bit of everything in college and that’s why he was considered a late lottery pick to a lot of people.
On offense, Portis can score inside and outside. He has a nice post move and uses his athleticism to get to the basket. He can also step away from the basket and shoot a mid-range jumper, a big reason he shot 53.6 percent during his sophomore season. The biggest addition to Portis’ game last season was his three-point shot. During his freshman year Portis was only able to shoot 27.3 percent (9-33) from behind the arc but was able to improve to 46.7 percent (14-30) last season. Portis didn’t even average one three-point attempt per game so I wouldn’t expect him to be stroking threes during his rookie campaign, however, Nikola Mirotic and Pau Gasol will be able to help him develop more range in the NBA.
As versatile as Portis is on offense he may be even more versatile on defense. Portis plays like a mad man, no literally. Before games he imagines his opponents hitting his mom so he can play the game with extra energy and more mad, it’s a scary way to motivate himself but it works. Portis played with a ton of energy with the Razorbacks. He runs the floor extremely well and was a big factor in transition offense and defense.
Portis is big enough, 6’11”, on defense to be able to defend down low. Both years in college Portis averaged around 1.5 blocks per game, proving that he is a natural defender. Most big men who are defensive threats down low are slow on the perimeter and guys like Mirotic are able to take them out of the game. However, Portis is quicker on his feet than most 6’11” guys which allowed him to lock down the perimeter last year.
It may seem crazy that Portis won the SEC Player of the Year award over Kentucky’s “super team”, but Portis had the second highest player efficiency in the SEC last year, according to Basketball Reference (29.5). No matter what people thought of Portis last season he proved he could play and as a result a lot of people think he could be one of the biggest steals in the draft.
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Las Vegas Summer League: 6 GP, 28.2 MPG, 14.5 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 1.3 BPG, 42.1 FG%
Just like any rookie everyone had their eyes on Bobby Portis. It was a learning experience and showed that throwing Portis right into the fire may not be the smartest move for the Bulls.
Portis had a couple really good games, one against the number one overall pick Karl-Anthony Towns, but was very inconsistent through Chicago’s six games. He stayed healthy all summer, playing in all the Bulls’ games, and that was good to see.
Portis struggled with his shot throughout the summer. After scoring 23 points on 9-14 shooting, against the Minnesota Timberwolves, he struggled during the Bulls next two games. Chicago dropped the next couple of games and Portis was only able to shoot 5-20 from the field and 0-2 from behind the arc. Nothing was falling for him through the two games. He looked like a rookie and it was hard for him to get his rhythm back.
He ended the Summer League a couple of games later when he and T.J. Warren of the Phoenix Suns battled it out. Warren ended up having the better statistical line, however Portis still had his best game of Summer League. Portis finished the game with 25 points and 15 rebounds, both the highest of the summer, it was a nice way to see him end Summer League. His shot looked good all game, despite shooting 8-18. He was able to score using his jump shot as well as going down low, something he wasn’t able to do in the previous five games.
Portis was a solid defender and rebounder throughout the entire Summer League. He only finished with less than five rebounds once and had a block in every game except one. Portis played exactly like the Bulls were expecting on defense. He played tough defense down low and was able to guard smaller guys outside and blocked a couple of shots.
No one expected Portis to blow people away, not many rookies do. He looked like a rookie and someone who could see decent minutes off the bench. He didn’t turn the ball over too much and stayed out of foul trouble, something that’s huge to see in rookies. He showed he has a lot of offensive and defensive potential during Summer League, Bulls fans should be excited with this pick.
Hoops Habit
2015-16 Season Expectations
It’s really hard to determine how much playing time Portis will get with a new coach. Tom Thibodeau was famous for not playing his rookies, I assume Fred Hoiberg will not be the same. I wouldn’t be surprised if Portis saw playing time early in the year. His play fits Hoiberg’s system and he could give valuable rest to the starters who have dealt with injuries in recent years.
Portis looked like a rookie during Summer League and should look the same during the regular season. He will have games when his shot is falling and others when it’s not. His ability to run the floor will let the Bulls get in a faster paced offense when he is on the floor, something they want to do more often.
Chicago should let Portis have minutes off the bench early in the season to help Taj Gibson ease back into play following his injury. If he is able to impress early on he could cement a spot in the rotation and be a key player off the bench.
I can see Portis’ rookie season going two ways. He will either get playing time early and impress the coaching staff and be a bench player that gives a decent amount of minutes. There is also chance that he could sit on the bench and play when injuries occur or during blowouts.
It’s hard to tell what Portis’ role will be since he is a rookie with a rookie head coach. However, I think Portis has too much all-around ability to sit on the bench all season.
What To Watch For
Bobby Portis was one of the best all-around players in college basketball last season. He could do a little of everything, on both offense and defense. The biggest thing to watch in Portis’ game is how much of his game transfers to the NBA level.
The NBA three-point line is longer, so I wouldn’t expect him to take a lot of threes. That wasn’t a big part of his offensive arsenal while at Arkansas so it shouldn’t be too big of a loss. Portis is tall enough to be able to score down low. If he can also make his jump shot consistently then he could use his athleticism to get to the basket.
The way Portis will see the most minutes is if he can prove he can play defense. Chicago is good enough on defense that they don’t need him to guard the opponent’s best player, but if he can protect the rim down low then he’ll see minutes.
Portis has some of the most raw talent in this year’s draft, yet the Bulls were able to get him at pick 22. Chicago should feel ecstatic about the pick. But if Portis doesn’t produce right away he might not see a lot of minutes this season.