CHICAGO — Bobby Portis fell into consistent playing time almost by accident, when the Chicago Bulls were at their lowest point. Now, he’s made it clear he’s not going anywhere.
All season, while the No. 22 pick in the 2015 NBA draft was waiting for his turn, Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg was adamant that Portis would play meaningful minutes at some point. It was just a matter of finding minutes in a crowded frontcourt rotation filled with veterans.
His opportunity came following the Bulls’ four-overtime loss to the Detroit Pistons on Dec. 18. It was the first of a back-to-back, so Hoiberg gave Pau Gasol the next night off in New York. That opened up room for Portis, and he responded with a 20-point, 11-rebound performance in just 23 minutes on the court.
The very next game, a loss at home to the Brooklyn Nets on Dec. 21, Joakim Noah suffered a shoulder injury that has kept him out the last two weeks and figures to sideline him for at least one more. A key injury like that isn’t an ideal way to make room for a rookie, but it got the job done, and Portis has been a consistent presence off the bench s ...
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Article written by Sean Highkin
Bobby Portis Finally ‘Earning Stripes’ with Chicago Bulls During Rookie Season
January 6th, 2016 by Sean Highkin Leave a reply »
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