Up next in our pop quiz series are the Bucks’ backup bigs: Bobby Portis, Jericho Sims, and Pete Nance. But while they share on-court positions, these guys play completely different games. How well do you know them?
Season in a snippet
Bobby Portis
67 GP, 24.2 MPG, 13.6 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.2 BPG, .488/.456/.706
Kyle’s end-of-season grade: B-
Bobby Portis’ season started slowly, with the veteran averaging just 8.8 PPG on less than 40% shooting from the field through Milwaukee’s first eight games, and it seemed his flaws
were becoming too much to gloss over. But you can’t keep a good shooter down for long, and by the end of November he was up to 11.2 PPG, shooting nearly 50% from the floor (48%) and three (47%). Portis’ hot streak continued, so much so that he was invited to participate in the three-point contest during All-Star Weekend. But with Milwaukee continuing to struggle and looking to rectify this by making a splash at the trade deadline, Portis’ contract and skillset had him in nearly every Bucks trade rumour. Of course, none of those scenarios came to fruition, and Portis finished the season with his typical Bucks’ numbers—albeit with a near-career-low rebounding percentage.
Jericho Sims
67 GP, 19.7 MPG, 5.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.3 SPG, 0.3 BPG, .784/.000/.620
Kyle’s end-of-season grade: B-
Jericho Sims’ season was a tale of two halves. In the first, he played sporadically—13.9 MPG in 32 of the Bucks’ opening 46 games—averaging just 2.8 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and 0.6 APG, while turning the ball over way too often (1.0 per game) for a guy with such low usage. In the second half, everything changed. No longer relegated to the dunker spot, Sims became something of an offensive hub, his confidence increasing seemingly by the day. In this second half stretch, Sims played 35 of a possible 36 games, increasing his averages to 24.9 MPG, 7.0 PPG, 7.3 RPG, and 2.4 APG, while turning it over just 1.2 times per game. He even posted a triple-double in a late-season game against the Detroit Pistons. Metamorphosis complete, Sims enters the offseason in a good spot—pick up his player option for 2026–27 or enter free agency following the best basketball of his career.
Pete Nance
46 GP, 15.7 MPG, 5.4 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 1.0 APG, 0.3SPG, 0.3 BPG, .515/.420/.364
Despite a strong Summer League, Pete Nance started the year as an afterthought, finishing 18th in our Ranking the Roster series. As a mature two-way player who was ineligible for postseason play, this was completely understandable. But Nance was not deterred, making the most of his opportunities when he got them. By the end of February—after a strong stretch where he played 16 consecutive games, shooting 61% from the field and 53% from three—Nance had won his way into fans’ hearts. In fact, 77% of them wanted him converted into a standard contract and were happy to waive Andre Jackson Jr., Gary Harris, Taurean Prince, Gary Trent Jr., or Cam Thomas to do so. By late March, they got their wish, with the Bucks signing Nance to a multi-year deal and surprisingly cutting Thomas to do so. Locked up for the next two seasons, Nance’s 2025–26 campaign is yet another chapter in the book of two-way success stories.
Tantalising totals
(1) Portis hit a career-high 135 three-pointers across the season. How many times did he hit five or more?
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Four, including a season-high six against the Indiana Pacers.(2) Sims dished out a career-high 10 assists in an end-of-season triple-double vs. the Detroit Pistons. How many times did he set or tie his career high in assists across the season?
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Six.(3) In his 47 games, how many times did Nance score double digits?
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12, including a career-high 23 against the Houston Rockets.Atypically advanced
(1) True or false: Portis had both a better true shooting percentage and assist percentage this season than he did in either of the last two seasons he finished top three in Sixth Man of the Year voting?
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True. Shooting: .587 vs. .581 and .575. Assists: 10.5% vs. 7.8% and 8.7%.(2) True or false: Sims finished with a lower block percentage than Gary Harris, Mike Conley, and Desmond Bane?
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True—0.6% compared to Harris’ 0.8%, Conley’s 0.7%, and Bane’s 0.7%.Obscure optics
(1) Match Nance’s splits:
- 10.7 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.5 APG, .463/.371/.500, -21.5
- 4.7 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 0.9 APG, .479/.424/.333, -9.1
- 9.7 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 2.4 APG, .600/.500/.333, +5.9
to the minute range:
- 10–19 MPG.
- 20–29 MPG.
- 30–39 MPG.
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10-19 minutes: 4.7 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 0.9 APG, .479/.424/.333, -9.1. 20-29 minutes: 9.7 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 2.4 APG, .600/.500/.333, +5.9. 30-39 minutes: 10.7 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.5 APG, .463/.371/.500, -21.5.How did you fare? Share your score in the comments, and don’t forget to drop your thoughts along with it—which stat stands out?
