Will Bobby Portis Start On Milwaukee Bucks For Injured Khris Middleton?

Despite 16 players returning to the Milwaukee Bucks from a season ago, there’s still a question about who will start for them. At least at the beginning of the season.

Khris Middleton won’t be ready for the first regular season game following offseason surgery on his left wrist and it’s unclear exactly when he’ll return. However, he and the Bucks’ front office are confident it will be early in the season. For now, that leaves a hole in the starting lineup.

Milwaukee has several options on the wing that could step in and fill a role on a short-term basis.

Pat Connaughton continues to grow his game and is ready to take another leap this season. He knows exactly what Mike Budenholzer wants, has experience playing alongside the other Bucks’ players and plays his role perfectly.

Wesley Matthews could step in. He’s their best wing defender not named Jrue Holiday and could take some of the defensive load off the Bucks’ guard. He’s also a capable three-point shooter, allowing him to provide some spacing for the starting unit.

Heck, Jordan Nwora could be an option. Milwaukee brought him back as a restricted free agent and roster 15 players for the first time in a few years. Nwora has a lot to learn defensively, but would give them another offensive weapon in the first five.

Those are all viable options, but it looks like Milwaukee is leaning in a different direction: Bobby Portis.

Portis has mostly come off the bench throughout his time in the NBA, but has some starting experience (he’s started about a quarter of his career games). He stepped in for 59 games when Brook Lopez was out last season. He also started the first five games after Middleton went down with a knee injury last postseason.

Entering Portis into the starting lineup gives Milwaukee a jumbo lineup. He would slide in as the 4 between Brook Lopez and Giannis Antetokounmpo, with Jrue Holiday and Grayson Allen filling in the backcourt. That’s the same lineup they used in Thursday’s preseason game against the Atlanta Hawks (to be clear: Matthews sat out with an ankle injury).

It also puts their five best players on the court to tip-off each game. When everyone is healthy, Portis acts as the Bucks’ super-reserve. He’s not your typical Sixth Man of the Year candidate—that award almost always goes to a high-volume scoring guard—but he’s just as good, if not better. He can fit into virtually any lineup combination Milwaukee throws out there, including this jumbo unit.

It does make Budenholzer work harder to align his rotation. Putting his top three bigs on the court to begin games means he has to substitute one out relatively early to even out the rest of his lineups. When the games count the most, he only plays those three bigs, however, there’s room for a fourth throughout the regular season. That’s where Serge Ibaka or Sandro Mamukelashvili could come in handy.

Moving Portis to the starting lineup also allows everyone else to stay in their role. Connaughton has thrived off the bench since coming to Milwaukee. Portis is much more capable of handling higher minutes. Connaughton is best when kept around the 20-25 mark. Nwora has a lot of work to become a positive player for the Bucks. Matthews’ minutes should be limited to keep him fresh for the playoffs.

Overall, Milwaukee has a few intriguing options for a temporary Middleton replacement. Portis could be the clear favorite. He’s the best non-starter they have despite playing out of position in this alignment. It allows everyone else to stay in their role until Middleton returns. The preseason may mean nothing. Or Thursday was a glimpse into Budenholzer’s early-season plans.