As we enter the home stretch of the NBA season, the Milwaukee Bucks are looking to make a deep push for the playoffs. With Giannis Antetokounmpo returning, it seems like things will fall in place as Milwaukee gears up for a run. That will have to halt for a while, though. Recently, a 25-game Bobby Portis suspension was handed out, shocking the Milwaukee fanbase.
The suspension comes on the back of Portis allegedly testing positive for Tramadol, which sits on the list of banned substances in the NBA. Acting as a pain killer, it was reported that Portis took the substance by mistake. No matter the reason, one thing stands — the Bucks have to play the rest of the regular season without one of the biggest pieces on the team.
Bobby Portis Suspension Length and Details
In short, the Bobby Portis suspension means that the Bucks’ big man will be out for 25 games. When extrapolating that over the calendar though, it means that Portis will be out until April 8th, which aligns with the Bucks’ 79th game of the season. At that point, it feels like the standings, for the most part, will be set. So, moving forward, the Milwaukee Bucks must find ways to win games without their 15 points-per-game (PPG) scorer coming off of the bench.
While not missing time, Portis alleged that he has been dealing with an elbow injury, which led him to find treatment to at least manage the injury. While getting that treatment, Portis stated that he was using NBA-approved medication and painkillers. He went on to say that he made a mistake when he accidentally took a pain-reducing, anti-inflammatory medication, which turned out to be tramadol. Given the NBA’s stance on taking banned substances, it seemed that there was no choice on suspending Portis for the infraction.
Milwaukee Bucks Outlook Amid Bobby Portis Suspension
After losing to the Los Angeles Clippers after All-Star Break, the Milwaukee Bucks currently sit at fifth in the East with a 30-24 record. While it looks like the Cleveland Cavaliers will lock up the one-seed, the Boston Celtics will lock up the two-seed and the New York Knicks are going to lock up the three-seed, that last home-court advantage spot will come down to the Bucks and Indiana Pacers. Without Portis in the lineup, it feels like the Bucks have that much more of a challenge to get that four-seed.
Without Portis in the lineup, I would imagine that Tauren Prince, Kyle Kuzma and Jericho Sims all see an uptick in their minutes. I would also imagine that Giannis sees an uptick at playing the center position when the Bucks go to their small lineups. While taking 15 PPG out of the lineup is certainly going to affect the offense, one saving grace here is that after the trades the Bucks made at the deadline, guys like Kuzma and Sims should have more time to gel with Giannis and Damian Lillard before the NBA Playoffs. We know that chemistry is the biggest thing in the NBA, so to have a few weeks of integrating the new guys can pay dividends when it comes to making a push.
Either way, it is hard to say that the Bucks are better without Portis, right? The Arkansas alum has staked himself as one of the better bench players in the NBA. With wanting to keep Lillard and Giannis healthy for the playoffs, one has to wonder where that scoring and production will come from when the two stars are out. While he certainly is not an efficient scorer, Kuzma is no stranger when it comes to needing to put up points.
So, this Bobby Portis suspension certainly hurts for the Bucks, but in the grand scheme of things, with Giannis and Lillard healthy, the Bucks are still a force and should not suffer too much when it comes to playoff seeding.
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