Name: Bobby Portis DOB: 2/10/1995 (20) School: Arkansas
Height: 6’10.5 Weight: 246.2 Projected Position: PF
Wingspan: 7’2 Standing Reach: 9’0.5
2014-15 Stats:
17.5 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.1 spg, 1.4 bpg, 1.6 tpg (29.9 minutes per game)
53.6 FG%, 73.7 FT%, 46.7 3FG% (30 attempts), 58.2 TS%, 55.2 eFG%
26.7 USG%, 13.6 ORB%, 20.2 DREB%, 16.8 TRB%, 4.8 BLK%, 2.1 STL%
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SKILLS & ATHLETIC BREAKDOWN
Offense
Post Offense
Portis is a good, but not great, low post scorer, but he has a lot of tools which should help him to continue to improve over the coming years. Portis has good size for the low post, with a wide lower body which helps him seal the defender behind him as he looks to get position. He does a good job getting low with a wide base, and using his lower body to create some separation from the defender. Portis knows what he wants to do when before he gets the ball, and he gets into his post moves quickly, not giving defenders much time to react. His footwork has improved, though he still a bounces a bit as he makes a move to the basket, but when he gets his body moving into a defender, it’s tough for them to hold their ground against him. Portis can make moves on either block and over either shoulder, though he is much better making moves that bring him into position to shoot with his dominant right hand. He has good touch around the basket, and his quick move into the lane for a short hook shot can be tough to stop, though I’d like to see him be able to shoot it with his left hand as well. He has a nice drop-step move along the baseline on either side, showing nice agility as he moves along the baseline to the basket. Portis has developed a nice up-and-under countermove for when his first attempt at a move is denied, and it’s one of the few instances when he will go to his left hand when the defender is on his right. Portis is capable of facing up out of the low post, and either shooting the mid-range jumper, or making a dribble move to the basket, and as I’ll get into later, he has some good skills attacking the basket off the dribble. Portis can have some trouble finishing around the basket, and he hasn’t really shown the ability to explode after a move to finish strong, showing more of a finesse game.
Portis is a good option in pick-and-roll sets, both with his good hands and ability to get to the basket, or his ability to pop out on the perimeter and hit the mid- and long-range jumper. He has also shown improved skill as a passer out of the low post, showing good patience against double-teams, and the ability to scan the floor quickly and make a strong pass. Portis does a very good job cutting to the basket off of guard penetration, and with the space he often gets, this is when you’ll see him finish well above the rim.
Perimeter Offense
Portis has made many improvements to his perimeter offense in the past two seasons, in many ways making him a legitimate inside/outside scoring threat. He has shown the ability to hit his jumper off the catch, or even a couple of dribbles, with range to the college three-point line. Portis does a good job getting square to the basket off the catch, and he gets into his shooting motion quickly, even if the motion itself isn’t always all that quick. His motion is fluid, with a high, consistent release, though near the end of last season, he seemed to not be getting much lift from his legs, causing a lot of flat shots; I don’t know whether there was an issue, or if it was just fatigue, but he had much more bounce in his shot for the first few months. Portis has also shown the ability to shoot a bit off the dribble in the mid-range area, often after a shot fake and one or two dribbles to clear the defender. While not as consistent as his spot-up shooting, the ability is there, and he could improve with some added quickness. Somewhat surprising given his size, Portis has shown that he can also come off of screens well to create space for his jumper, doing a good job getting ready to shoot as he comes off the ball, and getting off a good, quick shot before defenders recover. As mentioned above, he also is a good option in the pick-and-pop, setting good screens and getting to open spots quickly, ready to shoot off the catch. Portis has shown some ability to take the ball off the dribble to the basket with either hand, though he is much stronger going to his right. Given his ability to shoot from the perimeter, defenders coming out to guard Portis give him the opportunity to drive by them, especially if he gives a shot fake first to draw them in the air. He doesn’t have the acceleration off the dribble to often beat the help defenders to the rim, so he can often throw up some poor shots, but if he can get close to the basket, he has pretty good body control, and his nice touch and ability to use angles off the backboard well still gives him scoring options. Portis often finds good scoring opportunities off the dribble when he flash cuts to the high post area, dragging a bigger defender with him, and using a quick move to the get to the basket.
Free Throw Shooting
Portis is a below-average to average free throw shooter, but there is a chance of improvement due to his ability to shoot from the perimeter. The odd thing is as well as Portis’ jumper looks for a big man; his free throws look a bit different. He has a consistent routine and a compact motion, but when he is getting ready to shoot the ball, he takes his shooting arm and cocks it back, almost like a catapult, and fires the ball forward, and, at times, it looks like he is almost pushing the ball towards the basket instead of shooting it. If he can adjust to a more fluid shooting motion, he should show almost immediate improvement with his shot. Portis had a free throw rate of around 33 per 100 field goal attempts, which isn’t very good for a big man, though it is caused by his move to a more perimeter-based offense this season.
Defense
Post Defense/Help Defense
Portis is an average post defender, but could be much better with some simple improvements. He does a good job positioning himself between his man and the basket, getting low with a wide base and good defensive stance. Portis likes to try and use his length to deny entry passes, though he has to watch a tendency to overreach, leading to getting beat over the top or fouling. He reacts well to his man’s movements, but as in his offensive post game, he has a tendency to bounce as he moves, instead of sliding his feet, making him a bit slower and off-balance as he tries to defend the move. With his body, Portis should look to be more physical in holding his ground on the low blocks, instead, he gives the player space to make his move and build momentum as he heads towards the basket. Portis has good defensive awareness, and he shows good communication skills in Arkansas’ hectic defensive scheme. He does a good job as a help defender around the basket, and though not a great leaper, his length allows him to alter and block shots around the basket. His timing and extension are good; he’s just not going to be a guy who covers a lot of ground to block a shot. Portis is good as a pick-and-roll defender, hedging out well on the ballhandler, moving his feet well to contain, and using his length to take away a lot of the ballhandler’s options. He can be slow to recover back to his man, leaving some open shooters in pick-and-pop situations. Portis also does a very good job rotating as a help defender when the pick-and-roll happens away from him, finding the open man and getting out quickly on them.
Perimeter Defense (On/Off Ball)
Portis is a very good perimeter defender for his size, and by playing multiple roles in Arkansas’ press defense, he has had to guard many different positions. He positions himself well, with a good defensive stance, getting low with his arms extended. Portis has good lateral movement, sometimes over long distances, though he can sometimes be a bit slow to react against quicker offensive players. This shouldn’t be as much of a problem at the next level. He will give a good amount of space, and a good shooter should get clean looks before Portis can react. Off the ball, Portis’ uses his length well to deny passing lanes, and though his movement isn’t always fluid as he chases around the floor, he finds ways to recover, and his versatility allowed the Razorbacks to switch on the perimeter in many situations.
Rebounding
Portis is a very good rebounder, using his body well on both ends of the floor to clear space, and going strong after the ball. He is active on the offensive glass, having a knack for getting into position quickly, and extending well for the ball. Portis does need to watch the times where he brings the ball down low after securing the rebound, but he is often very good about going right back up with the ball for a quick second-chance shot. Portis can also be very good on the defensive boards, especially since he will go chasing after missed shots and not be content to wait for the ball to fall to him. He can sometimes be a bit slow to react, or forget to put a body on someone, but overall, he does a solid job.
Transition
Portis runs the floor well for his size, and Arkansas’ offense has often had him filling various roles in transition offense. He is at his best though when coming down the middle, often as a trailer, with his ability to spot up for jumpers, or catch the ball up high and make a strong move to the basket as the defense is scrambling. If he gets out in front of the defense, Portis is a good enough ballhandler that he can push the ball up the floor quickly and finish strong. He isn’t as good on the wings, though if the ballhandler can get him the ball as he is cutting to the basket instead of further out on the perimeter, he does a much better job of getting to the rim and finishing.
Intangibles/Summary
Portis is another unique big man in the class, showing a versatile offensive game to go along with some very good defensive skills. Portis, the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, is a skilled, yet still developing, post player. He has above-average footwork and good touch around the basket, plus a variety of moves, and a big body, which can make him tough to defend. Portis has also improved as a perimeter scorer, both with his ability to knock down jumpers, and take the ball off the dribble to the basket. He hit almost half of his thirty three-point attempts last season, and with some work and development, there’s no reason to believe he can’t show some ability to hit the NBA three. Portis runs the floor very well for his size, giving him a lot of opportunities in Arkansas’ fast-paced offense. Defensively, Portis seems to be very underrated, and while he definitely has some improvements to make, his versatility to defend in the post and on the perimeter can make him valuable to a coach. Other than Willie Cauley-Stein, there may not have been another big man with the ability to contain multiple positions on the perimeter like Portis. He’s a good rebounder on both ends of the floor, as well as a decent help defender/shot blocker. Portis improved his conditioning a lot during his two seasons at Arkansas, and with some focus on adding strength, he could eventually be a very good player on both ends of the floor. Portis plays as hard as anyone when on the floor, and at just 20 years old, there are a lot of areas where he can continue to grow as a player.
Draft Value: Mid-Late Lottery – #7-14
To me, Portis is one of the top 8 to 10 talents in this draft, with versatility on both ends of the floor which can allow him to fit with multiple teams and systems. He has good size to go with a continually improving skill set, and his improvement from his freshman to sophomore seasons was as good as anyone in the country. I think the speed with which Arkansas played on both ends should help him adjust to the NBA level, and with some work on developing his body, he can be a starter in the league a few years down the road.
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