Bobby

Portis

Portis was one of Milwaukee’s most productive players on Friday. In 23 minutes, he led the team in scoring and made three-pointers, and was one of five Bucks players to score in double figures. The veteran forward didn’t make many contributions elsewhere, however — he didn’t record an assist, had minimal impact on the glass, and finished with one stock on the defensive end. Portis has had one of his least productive seasons in quite some time, from a statistical standpoint, but with the Bucks down Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf), he should have opportunities to pick up his production.

Giannis went down just three minutes into Wednesday night’s game, and the Bucks were fortunate enough to quickly rule out an Achilles injury. However, it turns out that the calf injury could keep him on the shelf for an extended period of time anyway. With reports coming out that Giannis has also asked the Bucks for a trade, we’d expect the team and player to both be cautious with his return, which will likely keep him out until the beginning or middle of January. In the meantime, Bobby Portis Jr. figures to see an uptick in minutes, and both Kevin Porter Jr. and Kyle Kuzma will be leaned on for higher usage. Giannis’ recovery timeline could be additionally interesting because players who signed offseason extensions, like Knicks wing Mikal Bridges, aren’t eligible to be traded until February. With Giannis sidelined for a few weeks, that could open up new trade possibilities for the Bucks, if they choose to move their star.

When a player goes down with a non-contact lower leg injury, as Giannis did on Wednesday, it doesn’t take much effort to fear the worst. The Bucks announced during Wednesday’s game that the superstar forward had been diagnosed with a strained right calf. During his postgame availability, Rivers said doctors had ruled out an Achilles injury. That’s great news for Milwaukee, but the next step will be to determine the severity of the injury. Jericho Sims started the third quarter and finished with 15 points, 14 rebounds and one assist in 30 minutes. However, while that was an excellent performance for him, Bobby Portis (13/9/5 with two three-pointers in 30 minutes) and Kyle Kuzma (4/4/3/1/2 in 21 minutes) are more reliable alternatives if Giannis is out for an extended period.

Antetokounmpo left Wednesday’s game after suffering a non-contact leg injury during the first quarter. The Bucks have since ruled him out with a strained right calf, which will likely mean an extended absence, with the timespan depending on the severity of the injury. Bobby Portis will have added value if Antetokounmpo is out for an extended period, as will Kyle Kuzma.

Initially questionable for Wednesday’s game, Portis has officially been cleared to play. He’ll provide depth off the bench, but that has not been a great place to be for him this season in terms of fantasy value. There’s no issue with holding onto Portis in deep leagues, but fantasy managers should keep their expectations in check.

Portis didn’t make the initial injury report, but now there is a chance he is held out against Detroit. His potential absence would likely result in his minutes being divided among Myles Turner, Kyle Kuzma and Jericho Sims, which doesn’t open the door for any streaming options.

Antetokounmpo has missed Milwaukee’s last four games, most recently sitting out Wednesday’s loss to the Heat. Gary Trent Jr. was his replacement in the starting lineup for that one, playing 35 minutes and scoring 15 points. Bobby Portis and Jericho Sims have also made starts due to Antetokounmpo’s injury, with Portis offering the highest fantasy ceiling.

With Antetokounmpo considered questionable on the initial injury report, there was hope that he would play. Unfortunately, the Bucks have ruled out their superstar forward. While Bobby Portis offers superior streaming value, Jericho Sims received a spot start the last time out. However, Sims only played 11 minutes, so there’s no need to consider streaming him if he gets another start.

In the three games since Milwaukee lost Giannis Antetokounmpo (groin) during a November 17 loss to the Cavaliers, Portis has scored 19, 18 and 22 points. After starting the first two games, Portis was back on the bench Monday night, but that didn’t prevent him from recording his first 20-point game of the season. As long as Portis continues to hit the mid-to-high 20s in minutes, he’s worth trusting while the Bucks await Giannis’ return, especially with the Bucks having three more games in Week 6.

After scoring 19 points in his first start for the injured Giannis Antetokounmpo, Portis tallied 18 on 70 percent shooting on Saturday. He didn’t provide any defensive stats against the Bucks, but the opportunity to start makes Portis a player worth rostering while Milwaukee awaits the return of its best player. And with four games on the schedule for Week 6, now is a good time to add Portis if he’s sitting on your league’s waiver wire.