Chicago Bulls: 5 goals for Bobby Portis in 2017-18

4. Continue to improve long range accuracy

Unlike his minutes, Portis actually took a small step forward in terms of 3-point shooting. In his rookie season, Portis converted 16 of his 52 attempts from beyond the arc, which equates to a 31 percent conversion rate. Last season, however, Portis shot the long ball with greater accuracy (33 percent). This is significant because he attempted 44 more 3-pointers than he did the previous year.

Portis has already established himself as a player who can get up and down the floor and finish effectively from point blank range, as he shot 69 percent around the rim and converted 55 percent of his attempts that fell within the 3-10 feet range.

Barring a major unexpected turn of events, the Bulls and Mirotic will reach an agreement on a deal at some point. And if Markkanen is able to build on the success he had during EuroBasket 2017, he may be in the running for the starting 4-spot as well.

In other words, if Portis wants to separate himself from the rest of the pack, he will need to continue to improve in this area. Therefore, shooting between 36-37 percent from deep not only increases his chances of getting the nod as a starter initially, it will also help him retain the spot going forward.