Chicago Bulls: 5 storylines to watch during second half of season

2. Bobby Portis is in beast mode

Bobby Portis has certainly had an interesting season. As a result of the training camp altercation between himself and former teammate Nikola Mirotic, he was suspended for eight games for throwing a punch that landed Mirotic in the hospital with a concussion and multiple facial fractures.

Eventually, Mirotic was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans, which firmly solidified Portis’ role in the rotation. Since Mirotic’s departure, Portis has been playing like a man on a mission.

Aside from posting career highs in every category, he has reached double figures in seven consecutive games – something that hadn’t happened during his first two seasons in the Windy City.

While Portis has put together some very solid games this season, the one everyone will be talking about for a long time is his unexpected outburst against the Sixers. In that contest, Portis scored a career high 38 points on 15-for-26 shooting overall and an impressive 6-for-9 effort from 3-point range.

Although the primary focus will continue to be on the players acquired in the Jimmy Butler trade, Portis is showing that he’s no slouch either and that he warrants consideration for a larger role moving forward.