How Bobby Portis Became an NBA Draft Steal and Transformed His Career

2025-11-17 11:00

When I first saw Bobby Portis play during his rookie season, I have to admit I wasn't completely sold on his NBA potential. He had energy, yes, but so do many young players who eventually fade into obscurity. What's fascinating about Portis's journey is how he transformed from what many considered a questionable draft pick into one of the league's most valuable role players. I've followed his career closely because his story reminds me of something I witnessed in tennis recently - that incredible match between Eala and Gracheva where momentum shifted dramatically. Remember how Eala raced to that 3-0 lead before Gracheva took her first game 3-1? That's exactly how Portis's early career unfolded - flashes of brilliance followed by setbacks that made people question his consistency.

Portis was selected 22nd overall in the 2015 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls, and honestly, most analysts viewed him as just another big body. I recall reading scouting reports that praised his motor but questioned whether he had the basketball IQ to stick in the league. His first few seasons were exactly like Eala extending her lead to 4-1 - promising but not convincing. He'd show flashes, like that 19-point, 9-rebound performance against Cleveland in March 2016, but then he'd disappear for stretches. The real turning point came during the 2017-18 season when he averaged 13.2 points and 6.8 rebounds - decent numbers, but what really stood out to me was his improved shooting percentage of 47.1% from the field and 35.9% from three. Those aren't superstar numbers, but they indicated a player who was figuring out how to maximize his skills.

Then came what I call the "Gracheva moment" in Portis's career - that period where everything seemed to fall apart before the real breakthrough. Just like Gracheva fighting back to win four straight games and grab the lead at 5-4, Portis faced his own series of challenges. The incident with Nikola Mirotic in 2017 could have ended his career, but instead, it became the catalyst for his transformation. I've always believed that adversity reveals character, and Portis's response taught me something about professional resilience. After being traded to the Wizards in 2019, he put up solid numbers - 14.3 points and 8.7 rebounds per game - but more importantly, he started becoming the kind of player coaches trust in crucial moments.

What really makes Portis a draft steal in my evaluation is his Milwaukee Bucks chapter. When he signed with Milwaukee in 2020, I'll be honest - I thought it was just another stop in what was becoming a journeyman career. But watching him evolve into a crucial piece of their 2021 championship team was like seeing a player completely reinvent himself. His performance in the playoffs that year - particularly that 16-point, 6-rebound game in Game 5 of the Finals - demonstrated how far he'd come. The numbers tell part of the story: his player efficiency rating jumped from 15.8 in Chicago to 19.4 in Milwaukee, and his true shooting percentage reached a career-high 57.3% during the championship season.

The financial aspect of Portis's journey is what truly cements his status as a draft steal in my book. His initial contract with the Bulls was worth about $5.6 million over three years - reasonable for a late first-round pick. But his current value? After re-signing with Milwaukee in 2022, he landed a four-year, $48.9 million deal. That's nearly a 770% increase in annual salary from his rookie contract. In today's NBA economy, getting that level of production from what was essentially the 22nd pick is like finding gold in your backyard. I've analyzed hundreds of draft picks throughout my career, and this level of value extraction from that draft position happens maybe 15-20% of the time at most.

What impresses me most about Portis isn't just the statistical improvement but how he's expanded his game in ways I didn't think possible. He came into the league as primarily a post player, but now he's shooting 39.3% from three-point range over the past three seasons. That transformation didn't happen by accident - I've spoken with trainers who worked with him during off-seasons, and they describe an almost obsessive work ethic. He'd take 800-900 shots daily, focusing specifically on extending his range. This reminds me of how tennis players like Gracheva capitalize on opponents' errors - Portis identified the weaknesses in his game and turned them into strengths.

Looking at Portis's career arc teaches us something important about player development that often gets overlooked in draft analysis. The initial assessment of a player rarely tells the complete story. When Milwaukee won the championship in 2021, Portis contributed approximately 18.7 win shares throughout the season - for context, that placed him in the top 40 players league-wide. Not bad for someone many had written off as just an energy big. His story demonstrates that development isn't always linear - sometimes players need those "Gracheva moments" where they appear to be losing ground before making their biggest leaps forward.

In my years covering the NBA, I've seen numerous players labeled as draft steals, but Portis's case stands out because of how he's maximized every opportunity. From nearly being out of the league to becoming a championship contributor and fan favorite in Milwaukee, his journey embodies what teams hope for when they make those late first-round picks. The next time I'm evaluating draft prospects, I'll be looking not just at their current skills but at that intangible quality Portis has in abundance - the ability to transform setbacks into comebacks, much like how underdogs in any sport can turn momentum in their favor when everyone least expects it.