Bobby Portis knows who his opponents are. And he knows what they did.
In his two seasons at Arkansas, the 6-foot-11 forward began his pregame routine the same way each game.
"I sit in the locker room and I envision the other player on the team slapped my mom," he deadpanned at the NBA Draft Combine earlier this month. "I play angry. I play mad."
It should come as no surprise, then, that Portis also admitted at the combine he models his game after Kevin Garnett. The future Hall-of-Famer made his name as a dominant power forward with offensive versatility and a unique blend of athleticism, energy and passion on the defensive end. Garnett didn't make too many friends outside of his teammates, earning the reputation as the league's most ruthless trash talker and most passionate player.
Portis, an upbeat and charismatic 20-year-old off the court is able to flip the switch and hopes to bring the intensity Garnett exudes to the NBA team that selects him.
"I bring that same physicality, that same passion and that same log on my shoulder that (Garnett) plays with," he said. "Once I step on the court, I'm mad."
[NBA DRAFT PROFILE: Arkansas F Bobby Portis]
NBA
Portis will hear his name called early on June 26, perhaps as early as the low teens in the lottery. He was an incredibly efficient and versatile offensive player in his final season with the Razorbacks, shooting nearly 54 percent from the field while showing excellent range from 15 feet and even a few 3-pointers. He also averaged 3.4 offensive rebounds per game. Defensively his rebounding left something to be desired, but he averaged better than a block and a steal per game and held his own in the rugged SEC, helping Arkansas to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2008.
Teams know what they're getting on the floor, but Portis also wants front offices to know in interviews that they're getting a player with a mean streak willing to do whatever it takes to help his team win.
"I play with a chip on my shoulder, a log on my shoulder that no one else plays with," he said. "I go hard every possession. Some players play to play; I play to win. Playing to play is you want to get out there and play 20 minutes, get your minutes and get your shots. I play to win, which means if the coach puts me out there for 4-5 minutes, he knows that Bobby Portis is going to give his all every single second and minute he's out there."