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2023 NBA Awards: 1 dark horse candidate to win each honor

By Jacob Ellerbee

Timberwolves C Karl-Anthony Towns and 76ers C Joel Embiid (Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports)
Timberwolves C Karl-Anthony Towns and 76ers C Joel Embiid (Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports) /
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Milwaukee Bucks
Bobby Portis, Milwaukee Bucks (Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports) /

NBA Awards: Bobby Portis moves to bench, nabs the Sixth Man of the Year award

Bobby Portis, the tough-as-nails big man for the Milwaukee Bucks, is my dark horse pick to be the league’s Sixth Man of the Year next season.

Portis played outstanding ball as a starter for 59 games last season, averaging 15.5 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 1.3 apg in 59 games (29.5 mpg) in place of the injured Brook Lopez. But, once he returned back to his usual bench role in mid-March, his numbers dipped back closer to his regular season averages of 10.4 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 0.9 apg (22.2 mpg).

I’m banking on Portis using that experience he gained as a starter last season and translating it to his bench role for the Bucks. His play should give head coach Mike Budenholzer confidence to call his number more frequently and keep him in the game for longer stretches.

Portis, 27, does a great job cleaning up on the glass and getting easy put-backs. His 250-pound frame is one of the hardest to box out in the entire NBA and his high basketball IQ always seems to put him in the right spot at the right time. He’s durable, dependable and a difference maker that can do a little bit of everything for the Bucks when he’s on the court.

Last season, Portis missed 10 games for Milwaukee and in those 10 games, the Bucks went 5-5. How well the former Arkansas Razorback performs off the bench this season will largely determine how far the Bucks can go in their quest to return to the NBA Finals.