Of course, as the good vibes flow for the Bucks, fans have been dealt some bad news: Kevin Porter Jr. sustained a right knee meniscus injury during his on-court return-to-play training yesterday, according
to the team.
The injury will require a minor orthopaedic procedure that will sideline him for approximately four weeks. Further updates will be provided as necessary.
We know the value KPJ provides to this team as a change-of-pace guard, and his absence is not easily papered over. Since joining the Bucks last season, Porter averaged 11.7 PPG, 3.7 APG, 3.9 RPG, and 1.3 SPG on 49.4% shooting from the field and 40.8% from three.
That said, the emergence of Ryan Rollins, along with Cole Anthony’s play, will undoubtedly help replace the contributions Porter would have made to the team. We saw just last night that Rollins, in particular, is capable of handling more minutes and on-ball reps. If one of Rollins or Anthony gets injured, though, the guard room becomes very thin.
If fans are searching for “positives,” though, it is preferable that this injury has occurred early in the season, giving the team plenty of time to gel once KPJ returns. The Bucks play the Sacramento Kings tomorrow afternoon.
