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The Milwaukee Bucks are missing more than Kevin Porter Jr.’s scoring. Without his knack for disrupting passes, the team has lost a key source of turnovers and defensive momentum, and the club now appears to be looking to rookie guard Brayden Burries to restore that intensity.
Deflections and turnovers have vanished
Disrupting passing lanes was one of the few reliable features of the Bucks’ defense last year. Milwaukee averaged 16.6 deflections per game, a mark that helped generate extra possessions and easy points.
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Porter was a major contributor to that figure, recording about 3.7 deflections per game, the second-highest average on the roster. This season the team’s numbers have slipped: the Bucks sit last in the league with 13 deflections per game and also rank last in steals per contest at 5.6, with the next-closest team at 6.3. Part of the decline traces to Ryan Rollins’ reduced production, but Porter’s absence remains a noticeable factor.
Why Burries is now in the spotlight
Milwaukee used its 10th overall pick on Brayden Burries in the recent draft largely because of his defensive reputation. In his only season at Arizona he pressured ball-handlers relentlessly and averaged 1.5 steals per game.
Coach Taylor Jenkins has promoted Burries into the starting five, signaling the organization wants that same disruptive mindset on the floor. The roster offers few obvious alternates: Tyler Herro and Jaime Jaquez Jr. are not widely viewed as defensive anchors, Kyle Kuzma has shown inconsistency, and Myles Turner has yet to find steady form. The club has also shown openness to adjusting minutes, with Nate Ament mentioned as someone who could work his way into playing time.
As a rookie, Burries faces a heavy task. The Bucks’ decision to part ways with Porter suggests they believe Burries can supply immediate defensive energy. How quickly he translates college-level disruption into NBA results will be an early test of the team’s retooled identity and its ability to regain those extra possessions.
