Then again, the former Bull-turned-Bucks cult hero didn’t need to.
After a statement win for the defending NBA champs in Game 3 on Friday, Portis was talking about his mindset in the laugher. He had 18 points and 16 rebounds in just 25 minutes as the replacement for Khris Middleton (knee) in the starting lineup.
“Play with confidence,’’ Portis said. “That’s the biggest thing. Playing with confidence is a big thing out there on the basketball court, and you know who’s confident and you know who’s not.’’
Who did not?
The player Portis was assigned to guard at the start of the game and didn’t end up needing to guard — Patrick Williams. Instead, the Bucks used Portis to help double-team and push Bulls scorers DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine to their left hands all night, making them relatively ineffective.
That change was made possible by yet another passive and ineffective performance by Williams.
It’s important to note that Williams finished the game with nine shots, which was the same amount in his solid performance in Game 2, when he had 10 points and nine rebounds in a Bulls win.
But stats can be deceiving.
In the first quarter of Game 3, in which the Bucks outscored the Bulls 33-17 and established their defensive game plan, Williams took just two shots. The Bucks left him relatively open in the eight minutes when he was guarded by Portis.
Williams took two more shots in the second quarter as the Bucks stretched the lead to 60-41 at halftime, all but ending any hopes the Bulls had of taking control of the series.
Williams, the fourth overall pick in the 2020 draft, took four more shots in mop-up time in the fourth. He missed them all to finish the night 0-for-9 from the field with one point and four rebounds.
That’s unacceptable. Not just from a top-five pick, but from any player in the starting lineup.
“The playoffs, it’s all-in,’’ Portis said. “Every guy that steps out there needs to know his role and what he needs to do on the floor to impact winning.’’
At just 20 years old and experiencing his first postseason, of course Williams doesn’t know that. But the Bulls have to wonder when something will click for him? “Passive Pat’’ is not a nickname any player wants.
Besides, the excuses about his age and experience are starting to run thin, especially in a postseason where other 20-year-olds are not only making winning plays, but in some cases dominating (see the Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards).
If Williams isn’t ready, putting him on a playoff stage as a starter might not be the best decision.
Since he was drafted out of Florida State, Williams basically has been handed a starting job. It might be time for him to compete for it next year, showing more than he did in beating out an undersized Javonte Green this season and a lame-duck Lauri Markkanen last season.
Which brings us back to Portis.
He owns a $4.5 million player option next season. If Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas can free up salary, bringing Portis back to the organization that drafted him would be a good move.
He’d be an emotional spark plug for a team that too often looks like it would rather be in church singing. But more importantly, he would be real competition for Williams, who might need to be pushed, especially in that confidence department.
