Jevon Carter, Bobby Portis Are The Dogs Milwaukee Bucks Need

When the Milwaukee Bucks won the NBA Finals two years ago, P.J. Tucker represented the never-back-down mentality the team was missing to get them over the hump. He talked throughout their postseason run about how they were dogs and would grind on every possession.

That phrase has probably become overused, but Milwaukee has more dogs to get them back to the top of the mountain.

Bobby Portis remains from the Finals-winning team. He’s one of those players who represents the blue collar, hard-working type of player every championship-caliber squad needs. He’s not afraid of anybody and refuses to back down. He can often be seen snarling and flexing after a big offensive rebound or a blocked shot. These celebrations send the FiservFISV
Forum crowd into a frenzy and sparks energy for the rest of the team.

Of course, it also helps that he’s contributing in tangible ways. Portis plays a key role in the Bucks’ offense without Khris Middleton: One of only a few players they have who can create their own shot. He’s worked tremendously on his game (and his shot) over the last several seasons and it shows in many ways.

Perhaps, what stands out more than anything is his grind on the boards. At 6-foot-10 and 250 pounds, he isn’t the biggest, strongest, nor most athletic big man in the paint. What he lacks in size and athleticism, however, he more than makes up for in effort. He’s always working the glass on both ends of the court and is a nightmare to box out. Through four games, he’s averaging a career-high 10.1 rebounds per game including a whopping 3.8 offensive boards.

Carter sees a lot of himself in Portis. Or, in Carter’s words, “He’s me in a big’s body.”

A late-season addition last year after he was cut by the Brooklyn Nets, Carter has followed in Portis’s footsteps. He played a backup role last season before being benched in favor of George Hill in the second round of the playoffs. A move that drew the loud ire of Bucks’ fans.

He worked his tail off over the summer to earn a starting spot in Middleton’s absence. It’s unclear how long that will last, but Carter has proven he belongs in the rotation. He isn’t afraid to guard opposing players the length of the court and forms a scary one-two defensive punch with Jrue Holiday in the backcourt.

His shot is also coming along nicely. He knocked down an unsustainable 58.8 percent from the three-point line during his time with the Bucks last season. He’s only at 31.8 percent this year, but the looks will start to fall again. He was on fire throughout the preseason and went 4-for-11 in Friday night’s victory over the New York Knicks. His willingness to even fire away that many times from behind the arc shows you how far his confidence has come.

Milwaukee’s defense as a whole represents the dogs Carter and Portis are. Although their offense has been off to a slow start, they allow the fewest points per 100 possessions and lowest opponents effective field goal percentage according to Cleaning the Glass. They are preventing teams from getting to the hoop and from taking threes—a remarkable feat.

At 4-0, the Bucks are the only undefeated team remaining in the NBA. They still have 78 games and five-and-a-half months remaining before the real season starts. That’s a long grind on any team, especially one who isn’t particularly interested in the win/loss results.

Milwaukee will need their dogs every night to stay focused. Both Carter and Portis take their jobs very seriously. In Carter’s words, “Bobby a dog, man, you know what I’m sayin’.” We know exactly what you’re saying.