Former Razorbacks Star Bobby Portis Taking NBA By Storm
By Matt Jenkins
Let’s take a break from football for a moment and give credit where credit is due, to one of the best basketball players
to grace a Razorbacks uniform; Bobby Portis. Portis’ impact to the Razorbacks basketball program was nothing short of huge, and was vital to the success during his last two seasons. Portis ranks 3rd in most rebounds in a season, he averaged a 50%+ shooting percentage in his two years as a Razorbacks, and joined the Razorbacks 1,000 club, finishing his career with 1,047 career points. One has imagine where the Razorbacks would be heading this year had he stayed in the collegiate ranks. But he took a shot in the NBA Draft, and right now it’s paying off.
Portis was drafted 22nd overall in the 1st round of the draft to the Chicago Bulls, a team loaded with talent including Derrick Rose, Pau Gasol, and Joakim Noah. Chicago is also breaking in a new head coach in former Iowa State Head Coach Fred Holberg. If you don’t remember, Portis torched Iowa State offensively when the Cyclones played the Razorbacks during the most recent basketball season. Interesting choice for Holberg when he was given the keys to his first draft pick as the Bulls’ head coach.
Oct 19, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Bobby Portis (5) shoots a jump shot during the first half of the game against the Charlotte Hornets at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports
With the NBA regular season right around the corner, teams are gearing up for the season by finishing up their preseason run of games, and Bobby Portis has been turning heads, catching the eyes of many players and coaches.
In an article on ESPN, Detroit Pistons Head Coach Stan Van Gundy said “He’s one of the true inside-outside bigs you can get. He’s good on the block but he can step out and shoot the ball with range. You don’t see much of that. There’s very few of those guys. Kevin Love can go down on the block and get something done and step out onto the perimeter. But man, you’re talking a handful of guys. Chris Bosh, there’s just not many guys who have that and Bobby does.”
In that same ESPN article, Bulls’ point guard Derrick Rose said about Portis, “I love his confidence. That’s big for a rookie, big for any player in this league, but big for a rookie coming in the way he’s coming in. I think that’s just going to push our bigs to play harder, and who knows what he can become one day?” That’s high praise coming from two of the best in the game.
During the preseason, Portis’ is averaging 12.2 points a game, which put him 5th among all rookies in the league right now. He’s also averaging 1.0 blocks a game, which is good for fourth in the group.
One thing everyone agrees on is Portis’ heart and passion for the game. Razorback fans remember it during his time on campus, and Bulls fans and fans around the league are experiencing his passion first hand right now. It’s even better that Portis is showing this passion at such a young age. No matter the age, if Portis keeps playing the way he has early, he’ll carve out a niche for himself the way Garnett has done over time. Every possession counts — even in the preseason.
Razorbacks fans all around the country are very excited for Bobby Portis, for all his success during his time at Arkansas, and now with the Chicago Bulls!
Woo Pig.